


But Did You Die?

by LaRaeXandXNinjas



Category: Naruto
Genre: Alternate Universe - Everyone Lives/Nobody Dies, F/M, Family Feels, Good Orochimaru (Naruto), Male-Female Friendship, Reincarnation, Self-Indulgent, Self-Insert, Team as Family, Third Shinobi War, medics are badass, oc has a potty mouth, orochimaru is possibly a good person
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-11-05
Updated: 2020-12-05
Packaged: 2021-03-08 21:54:21
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 17
Words: 33,866
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27393808
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LaRaeXandXNinjas/pseuds/LaRaeXandXNinjas
Summary: Tsuyuko only wanted one thing from her life, from this life. It was a simple request really, nothing to complicated. So why was it so damn hard to do? Oh right because all she wanted was to make sure her friends got to live nice long lives, and when the world is on fire it is a rather dificult to stop the flames alone. SI-OC ,Third War Era, Orochimaru is sensei, OC has a bad mouth, cross-posted on FF
Relationships: Namikaze Minato/Uzumaki Kushina, Nara Shikaku/Original Female Character(s)
Comments: 103
Kudos: 373
Collections: A Collection of Beloved Inserts





	1. They Were Hers

**They Were Her’s**

_“Those who have a strong sense of love and belonging have the courage to be imperfect.”_ **_~ Brené Brown_ **

**_.1_ **

This was what he got he supposed. Although he wouldn’t complain, it wasn’t like it was her fault really. The younger orphan was just rather clumsy. Her head was rested on his shoulder, her arms around his neck as he carried her on his back. She’d tripped running after him while they were out twisted her ankle in the process though hence the carrying. He wished she’d be more careful.

“Nii-san?” She spoke quietly, carefully as she always had. He glanced slightly back looking at her out of the corner of his eye.

She wasn’t really his little sister. Not technically but the four year old had latched herself onto him from the beginning and didn't let go. He didn’t mind really. It was nice to be looked up to like that.

Namikaze Minato was proud to be her big brother.

Her lips quivered a bit and her eyes looked a little red around the rim. Like she might just burst out into tears. Minato did not want to see her cry. He hates watching her cry.

“Are you okay Tsu? Do we need to go find a medic?” She shook her head vehemently. That was not something she wanted to do. Not at all.

“I’m sorry I’m so clumsy.” She buried her face in his shoulder trying to hide the tears that threatened to fall. He shook his head with a small laugh.

“Don’t worry about it Tsu, I don’t mind having to carry you.” She huffed not lifting her head up.

The little girl mumbled her thanks, lifting her head up slightly to press her cheek against Minato’s. “I love you nii-san.” He smiled.

“Love you too Tsuyu.”

The orphan matron wrapped her ankle when they got back while reminding the girl to be careful. Telling the small child what she probably wanted to be a hard truth. “Tsuyuko you can’t expect Minato to always be there, you need to pay better attention to your surroundings.” She pouted the whole time. 

And if you had been looking closely you would have seen the fire in her golden eyes. The building determination in them. No one was going to take her big brother from her.

She wouldn’t allow it.

…

Despite being two years younger than Minato she started at the academy around the same time as him. There was a war going on and she’d never tried to hide it. There was a reason she latched on to the blonde genius and he’d already proved to be one at the mere age of six because in spite of her own clumsiness she wasn’t like other children.

Her general lack of coordination was perhaps the only thing that was really true to her physical age. Tsuyuko could level with Minato on a mental level in a way she’d never be able to with normal children. They were practically inseparable at this point. She’d clung to him since the moment she could walk. Normal children were not for her, she would never be able to interact with them well.

She would have had to have been a normal child for that and she was well past that point. Normal was overrated in a world of shinobi. Normality could really be the difference between living or dying. Tsuyuko quite frankly enjoyed being alive, so normality could suck it.

The irony… It’s not lost on her. Of course she would enjoy being alive. Dying she supposed would do that to a person. Right, she probably should have mentioned this to begin with; it would have saved for the really awkward situation she found herself in now having to explain it. 

Once upon a time she used to be a different person, that person died and now she was Tsuyuko. Okay maybe it wasn’t that awkward, but it was really weird to think about. Tsuyuko was an orphan in a world full of monsters, a world at war, she was an orphan in a freaking ninja village that just so happened to have been a literal piece of fiction once upon a time. It was a lot to take it and to deal with. As a result she spaced out a lot, easily losing focus as her mind drifted to the internal conflict she always felt. Also one other unfortunate side effect seemed to be migraines. 

Which the next few minutes were not going to help at all.

“I’M UZUMAKI KUSHINA AND I AM GOING TO BE HOKAGE!” The sudden rather loud introduction is what pulls her from her own mental monologue this time. Tsuyuko looks up to see the brightest reddest hair on what is honestly the cutest round face little girl. So this was Kushina then… she thinks warily.

She wasn’t sure if she was prepared to deal with how loud this was going to become yet. Tsuyuko had wondered briefly when the Uzumaki girl would be joining their academy class since she hadn’t at the start of the year. It was no secret that Mito-sama had recently become ill. Well it wasn’t a secret if you were paying attention she supposed. So it made sense that only now were they getting to see the apprentice the older woman had taken some time ago.

Tsuyuko laid her head back on the table doing her best to cover her ears with her arms. “Headache Tsuyu?” The concern in Minato’s tone is not lost on her and she nods slowly. Headache was putting it lightly. The migraine was already forming above her brow, so it was going to be like that.

“Are you gonna need the nurse again Tsu-chan?” Chouzo asked softly from her left, she liked the Akimichi boy. He was always the most tactful out of Minato’s small group of friends.

Their little group were accustomed to her headaches by now. They all knew how to deal with her when she got them and for the most part were usually very understanding and kind. She shook her head, she didn’t need the nurse.

It was bearable still. She could manage, as long as there was no more screaming. 

“Thank you Uzumaki-chan please go take a seat, I believe there is a spot next to Namikaze-kun.” Minato looked up at the call of his name and waved. Tsuyuko suppressed a groan and turned her body more towards Chouzo for the remainder of class.

Class ended without any incident but her headache had escalated to the point of nausea. She didn’t try to get up. Kushina bolted from her spot as soon as the bell rang and none of them tried to stop her. Tsuyuko wondered if the girl was going to meet up with Uchiha Mikoto, who wasn’t in their class but had made friends with Kushina previously. From what she’d heard anyway.

Honestly she didn’t currently care, mainly because Kushina’s bright personality had a rather negative effect for her. Tsuyuko would get over it once her migraine went away. She wanted to like the girl since she would one day mean a lot to her brother.

“Are you sure you don’t want to go see the nurse?” It’s Minato who asks this time. Tsuyuko lifts her head slowly. No, she didn’t want to see the nurse. She hoped her eyes portrayed that.

“Go play it’s recess, I’m just going to rest here.” She mumbles before dropping her head back down.

“I was gonna nap anyway so I’ll stay with her.” Shikaku speaks from behind her. She would have rolled her eyes but it hurt too much. That should satisfy Minato.

“Alright, but Tsuyu if it gets worse we are getting the nurse.” There is finality in Minato’s voice. She managed a thumbs up and then decided to try meditating to at least clear her raging thoughts.

Minato and the rest of their little group save for Shikaku left after that. Shikaku moved to sit next to her, she moved to lay her head in his lap. He ran his fingers through her scalp, knowing it would help.

Like she said, their friends knew what she needed when she got her headaches. Which happened more frequently now that ever before. Tsuyuko had a feeling that the older she got the worse they would become.

Regardless it wasn’t going to stop her from becoming a ninja, a medic if she were being specific, someone needed to make sure all these idiots survived. She liked their little group of friends more than she should have. They were her’s. They would always be her’s. 

“Stop thinking Tsu, take a nap you’ll feel better.” She smiled into Shikaku’s thigh. Stupid genius.

“Aren’t you supposed to be the one who does that?” She mumbles. He chuckles.

“Not this time.”

“Whatever.” She doesn’t see the smirk on his face as she drifts off.

…

Tsuyuko was barely eight by the time they all graduated, the rest of their group were nine almost ten. Team structures during wartime had separated her friends, and instead she was on a team with Senju Tsunade’s little brother Nawaki. He was eleven years old, one of the older kids in their class, and sadly he had no interest in medical ninjutsu like his older sister. She was a bit disappointed, honestly she had wanted to be at least with one of her friends but that had not happened.

The other member of their team was a Hyuga who may have been the younger brother of the Hyuga heir and his twin brother a couple years ahead of them. He was nine years old, so Tsuyuko was the youngest. But she was the youngest in their year so it wasn’t a surprise. Tsuyuko had the sinking feeling that the reason she knew nothing about him was that he had died long before the series she remembered ever started. She was going to do her best from letting that happen, she eyed Nawaki carefully.

Was she going to have to try to save him too? She didn’t know him very well, but he was her teammate now and she quite frankly didn’t like the idea of seeing either of her teammates dead. Guess she was adding them to the list.

She could feel a headache already starting. But that could have been from Nawaki’s constant chattering. Didn’t he know the meaning of waiting quietly. It had taken over a year for her to be able to block out Kushina’s explosive tendencies but she had grown to like the red head.

“I wonder what jounin sensei we’ve been assigned, wonder what’s taking them so long.” He rambled. Tsuyuko rolled her eyes standing from her seat to walk around the room.

“Nawaki please stop talking.” Himura spoke for the first time after his brief introduction. The boys had apparently known one another before this, they were friends. Which was only a little annoying to Tsuyuko.

She missed her friends.

“Newaki-kun I see you are as lively as ever.” The air around the room shifted as their sensei appeared before them. Tsuyuko felt the skin crawl up her arms when she locked eyes with the dark haired man.

Oh no… this was not what she had wanted at all.

“Orochimaru-sama, are you sensei!?” Nawaki actually sounded happy about that. And why shouldn’t he have been? It wasn't like the man before them had done anything bad. _Yet._ The creeping voice at the back of her mind echoed. Reminding her of everything she knew.

Pressure started building in her forehead faster than she could push it back. Tsuyuko reached up, smashing the palm of her hand into the spot as if she could physically force it to go away. She did not need a migraine right now.

“It would seem that way.” Yellow eyes looked past the excitable preteen, eyebrow raising in her direction. Tsuyuko held his gaze looking through the space between her fingers.

“Apologies sensei, I get headaches.” She mutters, rubbing her head. Nothing she could currently do about it. Except try her best to force it back with willpower alone.

“Interesting. I assume Nawaki’s chattering is to blame.” “hey!” Nawaki protested.

“Unfortunately not sensei, I have a chronic condition, however I promise it will not be a problem.” He nods once. Eying her carefully.

Tsuyuko offered the most reassuring smile she could muster through her pain. It was the best she could do and it would have to settle for now. She was not at all looking forward to this. Of course she hadn't anticipated that she would grow to like her new teacher…

And yet somehow she really did. 

There was no hint of evil in the man yet. If anything all he currently was, was curious. Curiosity wasn’t an inherently bad trait, it had the potential to become that but right now it wasn’t. Also he somehow coerced Tsunade into teaching her medical ninjutsu which was just awesome.

So yeah, she probably shouldn’t have, but Tsuyuko couldn’t help it... she liked her little team. They were her’s.

Lord she was so fucked.

**XOXOX**

**Thanks for reading!**

**~LaRae**


	2. Don't Trust the Walls

**Don’t Trust the Walls**

_ “I've never fooled anyone. I've let people fool themselves. They didn't bother to find out who and what I was. Instead they would invent a character for me. I wouldn't argue with them. They were obviously loving somebody I wasn't.” _

**~ Marilyn Monroe**

**.2**

Tsunade eyed the small curly haired girl Oorchimaru set before her. So this was the kunoichi on Nawaki’s team that wanted to be a medic. She turned her sharp gaze on her old teammate, he’d never mentioned how young she was. Quite frankly she did not approve. At all.

“Why was she allowed to graduate? What is she six?” The little girl huffed, annoyance visible in her piercing green eyes. Tsunade was taken slightly aback by just how bright the color was, she’d never seen eyes that green before. The color reminded her of how the trees and grass looked after rain, but there was something twisted about them. 

If anything a more accurate description would be they remind her of greenery right before a horrible storm. 

Orochimaru actually placed a hand on her shoulder stopping her from speaking. She gave him a very dirty look. “ She’s eight, her name is Tsuyuko. I thought you would be amiable to this arrangement since she is on Nawaki’s team. I thought we were friends, Tsunade.” He almost sounded sincere, but more than anything he was goading her.

Tsunade huffed at him crossing her arms, she examined the child again. “Fine, but don’t complain if she’s too tired for D-ranks.” He grinned and pushed Tsuyuko forward before leaving without another word.

“Orochimaru-sensei is focusing more on training than d-ranks currently. He doesn’t truly believe them to be very beneficial in the long run.” Tsuyuko tells her, seeming unphased by her sensei’s sudden disappearance. The Senju medic couldn’t even find it in herself to be surprised. At least Jiraiya was doing what he was supposed to with his students. 

“So why do you want to be a medic?” Tsunade asks the girl. Her answer is shocking.

“I don’t want to watch my teammates or friends die.” There was something unsettling about the certainty in her tone, something so sure that it just didn’t sit well with the sannin. It was almost as if this child had seen her friends die. Tsunade nodded.

Despite how the statement unnerved her she could agree with it’s sentiments. She hoped Oorochimaru knew he was going to have his hands full with this one. Because she could already tell, this girl was going to become a force to be reckoned with.

…

Tsuyuko collapsed when she got back to her shared apartment that night. Minato raised his brow at her from the floor where he’d taken up residence studying some type of scroll. They’d been genin for almost eight months at this point. The two rarely saw each other between training, missions, and various other studies.. No one ever told her that becoming a genin meant she was never going to see her favorite person. Which just royally sucked.

“Are you going to be okay?” She’s sure his brow is raised based on the tone of his voice, but she’d barriered her face in the couch cushion so she couldn’t see it for herself.

“Probably. I don’t think Tsunade-sensei likes me very much. Plus sensei enjoys watching us suffer. It’s crazy that we both have sannin as jonin sensei..”Tsuyuko forces herself to sit up so she can at least look at Minato while they catch up. He chuckled, tucking the scroll away giving her his full attention.

“I will say I was a little concerned when Jiraiya-sensei told me that his teammate was your teacher. Orochimaru-sensei seems a little out there.” Minato admitted. Tsuyuko raised her brow at him, it wasn’t in his nature to be judgemental. She shrugged.

“Sensei seems like an okay person to me, he’s curious and I think that rubs people the wrong way sometimes. But I believe that he has the good of the village at heart. If not Tsunade-sensei will probably beat it into him.” Tsuyuko moved to sit on the floor next to Minato , she leaned her head against his shoulder. Trying her best to reassure him.

She was fine. Orochimari was a good sensei. Currently she was abiding by the innocent until proven guilty mentality herself. It would do no one any good to think negatively about a fellow leaf shinobi during war times. Which they were currently still in.

The second war while on the verge of collapse was still going on. Tsuyuko had the haunting feeling that her team was probably about to start taking missions outside of the village and the very idea scared her.

God… she didn’t want anyone to die. She didn’t want to die.

…

Yeah missions outside of the village did in fact start for her team, and Minato’s, which was really frustrating. Because they never lined up to be home at the same time Tsuyuko wanted to scream but instead she settled for petty pouting as they left the village gates early that morning. “Are you going to be okay over there?” Nawaki questions, giving her a concerned side eye.

“I’m missing Minato’s birthday, he missed my birthday. Obviously I am never going to recover.” She retorts, Nawaki grins at her.

“Aw, don't be like that Suyu-chan. You got to spend your birthday with us and we’re just as awesome as Namekaze.” Nawaki tries to cheer her up, it works but she obviously doesn’t want him to know that instead she looks away redirecting her attention to their sensei who had been silent this whole time.

“Hey sensei do you think we’ll see any combat on the mission?” He blinked at her question giving her a hard to read look.

“Perhaps. We are still at war. Why do you ask?” Tsuyuko takes a moment to think looking at her teammates, she pushes the pettiness she feels over missing Minato aside for now. Instead she does her best to focus on what is in front of her.

Keeping herself and her teammates alive. Tsuyuko had a bad feeling starting to build in her chest.

“Something feels different I guess.” She mutters quietly. Oorchimaru considers her words carefully. Nawaki throws his arm over her shoulders, a huge grin on his face.

“No need to worry Suyu-chan, Himura and I will keep you safe. We’ll protect each other no matter what.” 

Which in turns proves to be rather hard when enemy shinobi start actively trying to kill you in the middle of a mission. Tsuyuko wanted to scream, or cry, and honestly neither sounded like the ease the stupid fucking headache this was starting to cause.

That or being right next to an explosive seal when it went off could have technically been the cause of the ringing in her head. They were only six days into their mission which should have been a quick retrieval mission to the border. It wasn’t.

Tsuyuko looked down at her hands covered in blood. Not her’s, no this blood was Nawaki’s. That quite frankly made her want to throw up. She didn’t because she had shit to do to make sure this was the only bit of Nawaki’s stupid blood on her hands. Idiot went and threw himself between Himura and their enemy, a possible jonin from Kusa. They’d gotten separated from Oorochimaru somehow, it was honestly all a fucking mess.

So it was no surprise that it was giving her a headache. 

Himura was guarding her back as she heeled Nawaki the best she could. She’d been Tsunade’s student for a year, she’d learned a lot, but by no means was she a medic master mind yet. “Nawaki if you die on us I will never fucking forgive you.” Tsuyuko hissed and she worked through her headache to heal his wounds.

Her teammates better be glad as shit she loved them. Cause to steal from Shikaku this was a fucking drag. 

“Agreed. Tsuyuko, we may need to move, I can see more signatures coming this way.” That was not good. Nawaki couldn’t be moved yet, he’d sustained a spinal injury that she really didn’t want to fuck with yet. Not until she stopped the bleeding. If they moved him now…

Lord, she did not want to think about it. 

“I don’t think we can, Nawaki can’t be moved, Himura. Not yet at least.” 

“We may not have a choice Tsuyuko.” Tsuyuko shook her head. Nawaki who was barely conscious tugged at the hem of her shirt.

“Leave me.” His voice is weak, she can feel the tears pooling in her eyes.

“Fuck no.” Yes she was almost nine, and yes she knew her vocabulary choice was not the nicest. No she did not fucking care right now.

“No one gets left behind.” As she spit the words out of her mouth a large presence of chakra engulfs the forest around them. It’s heavy and it's dark, and it feels terrifying as hell but it is familiar and safe. They were going to be okay.

Their sensei had found them, and he looked pissed. Oorchimaru gave them a quick once over before preparing to obliterate the inbound enemy. He is dirty and has some blood on him, but he doesn’t appear injured so Tsuyuko turns her attention back to Nawaki. No longer having to try and split her attention between her teammates.

“Incoming, three shinobi, they’re coming in from the north.” Himura spouts off. 

“Noted, guard Tsuyuko and Nawaki. I will take care of the rest.” Then he disappears.

Tsuyuko feels no amount of remorse for what is about to happen. None at all.

Assholes fucking deserved it.

…

Oorochimaru sat in the chair beside the hospital bed silently, still. Curled up in his lap as if she were some type of feline was his youngest student. Tsuyuko had refused to leave Nawaki’s side since the moment they’d return back from the hellscape their mission had turned out to be. He shouldn’t be surprised, his own first C-rank had been a cluster fuck too. Nawaki was alive despite the vastness and severity of his injuries, he would probably never walk unassisted again ending his shinobi career before it had any real chance to begin but he was alive. Thanks to the sheer stubbornness of the small girl curled up in his lap.

His other student was sleeping sitting up in the other chair as no amount of convincing would make either of them leave the room. The room’s door opened softly, carefully and in slipped his own teammates. Tsunade sat carefully on the bed next to her brother who had yet to wake up, she ran a tentative hand over his now marred face. Jiraiya stayed by the door, arms crossed, but it was easy to read the concern in his body.

Tsuyuko woke slightly but only to tighten the grip she had on his tunic and barrier her face further into his side. It was mildly uncomfortable but he had no desire to move her just yet. Frankly he had a few questions for her that he wasn’t about to let her slip out of answering. Not this time.

“I don’t want to watch my teammates or friends die.” Oorochimaru looks up at Tsunade, the words are spoken softly, her eyes are locked on the bundle in his lap.

Tsuyuko stirred again this time she sat up rubbing the sleep out of her eyes slowly. She looked first at Tsunade who was still staring at her, then at Minato’s sensei who was standing by the door before behind her at Orochimaru her sensei. His gaze was pensive, curious, and she decided that she was too tired to deal with this right now. She laid her head on his shoulder and buried her face in his long hair.

She knew she’d let too much slip. There were going to be questions now, questions that she didn’t want to answer. Not right now at least. Not while her teammate still might die, while her head felt like it was going to split open. Later, but not now.

Instead she mutters into Orochimaru's shoulder. “I don’t trust the walls.” And then berries her face further into his shoulder blade falling back to sleep. She was so tired.

“Was she checked for chakra exhaustion?” Tsunade asks pretending to not have heard what she whispered. Oorochimaru nods. 

“Yes. She is still suffering from the after effects, she depleted nearly all of her chakra to keep Nawaki breathing and even healed the minor wounds Himura suffered as well.” He tells Tsunade, who turns to inspect the other genin.

The Hyuga boy has slumped slightly in his sleep, his hand propping up his cheek making the bandage around half of his face including one of his eyes bulge ever so slightly.

“His sight?” Tsunade cannot help but to wonder aloud absentmindedly rubbing circled over Nawaki’s hand.

“Will most likely fully recover, he will at least recover eighty-five percent of it.” Tsunade nods at the answer, glancing back at Jiraiya who has been unusually quiet.

But this situation was familiar enough to him, for him. The roles had been slightly different back then. They had changed because of it. He was unusually quiet because he was lost in thoughts of his own. 

“Minato will be devastated if we let anything happen to her. She’s his person, his family.” Jiraiya finally speaks. Because at the end of the day, despite the suspension the three of them shared about the little girl, she was still only a child. Barely nine years old and had done nothing wrong. Oorochimaru glanced down at her once more, curls tickling his chin due to the proximity of her face to his. He tugged at one carefully as he adjusted her sleeping form. A deep forlorn sigh escapes his lips. 

She’d known something was going to happen. She had been trying to prepare for a while now. So why hadn’t she told anyone?

**XOXOX**

**Thanks for reading!**

**~La’Rae**

  
  
  



	3. I Wasn't Trying to Hide

**I Wasn’t Trying to Hide**

_“In three words I can sum up everything I've learned about life: it goes on.”_

**~Robert Frost**

**.3**

Tsuyuko sat in the middle of the living room floor of what she thinks is Jiraiya’s apartment. It definitely wasn’t Orochimaru’s apartment, it was far too untidy for that. She was currently doing her very best not to look at the three sannin who were staring at her. Instead she was intently staring down in her lap clutching the pillow she stole off the couch close to her chest.

Nawaki was doing better, he was finally awake. Himura was with him now, or else she wouldn’t have been sitting here so demurely. But how was she supposed to protest really when it was the sannin themselves who had carted her away from the hospital. They had questions. She didn’t want to answer.

She didn’t know how to answer.

Okay that was technically a lie, she knew there were several ways to answer. But lord she had no desire too. What if they didn’t believe her? Or worse.. What if sensei had already gone darkside? Tsuyuko didn’t want to think about that. 

Innocent until proven guilty, right?

“Kid you're not in trouble but you realize how suspicious you are, right?” Jiraiya finally breaks the ebbing silence. Tsuyuko looks up at him, tears brimming in the corner of her eyes.

Dammit she knew okay! It didn’t change the fact that she didn’t know what to do. What were you supposed to do in this situation. She knew she couldn’t lie, not when she’d been so obviously caught. But fuck it still wasn’t easy.

Then tears are spilling down the sides of her cheeks and she can’t fucking help it, and damn this makes her feel so stupid and small. All she wanted was to curl up in a ball and hide. Her breathing hitches, herr head is pounding and fuck she’s hyperventalating isn’t she. This was not going well at all.

Why was she so afraid?

“Kami kid breathe.” Jiraiya half yells and Tsunade croches carefully in front of her, running a glowing hand over her forehead. The pain starts to subside, she feels so tired. Tsunade sits back leaning against the couch watching the small girl try her hardest to collect herself, and then to the surprise of everyone Orochimaru comes to sit behind the little girl pulling her into his lap and she buries her face in his chest. 

“Tsuyuko you can trust us, we just want to help you.” He tells her carefully. She leans back reaching up placing her small hands on his cheeks. Holding them gently in place staring intently into his gaze as if searching for something.

It takes a moment more to collect herself, she drops her hands and adjusts so she’s leaned against the sanni for support. He lets her use him as a clutch. The next words out of her mouth shatter any chance for her to lie.

“I used to be a doctor. I worked in intensive care. I died.” There is no I think, no speculation. Tsuyuko speaks these words into life with absolute conviction of their truth. No doubt in her mind that they are real facts. She pushes herself further into Orochmaru’s chest as if talking about it makes her uncomfortable.

“I used to love reading, there was a story I used to read… it was about this world. Or a version of this world where all of you were just characters. Nawaki died in that story for stupid plot reasons… Sensei was evil in that world, he defects after the third shinobi war ....” She continues, the words flow from her tongue before she can really think about them.

“I’m sorry did you say third war?/evil?/that’s what you meant.” All three sannin speak at the same time. Tsuyuko looks up at sensei first he’s looking at her with an almost unreadable expression. So she answers his question first.

“Yeah, in the story you were a bad guy. Obsessed with the sharingan, you did experiments on children under the orders of Shimura Danzo with the leftover DNA of the Shodai. You were caught after the death of the Yondaime and you became a rogue ninja, it’s dramatic or something. But I don’t think you’re evil. You’re sensei.” She tells him in a matter fact tone. Tsuyuko believed with her whole heart despite what she apparently knew that he was a good person or something.

He continues staring at her as she turns to look at Jiraiya. “Yeah third war, it happens shortly after this one. I believe it’s caused by an anbu mission gone haywire. Hatake Sakumo gets blamed for its start even though things are still going to be tense after this war ends. I think it’s against Iwa and Kuma, but also possible Suna… I can’t really remember the details. The story had some holes..” She trails off before tilting her head at Tsunade who was giving her a skeptical look.

“I’ve seen all my friends die. They weren’t my friends when I saw it, they were fictional then but I’ve still seen it happen.” Tsuyuko says carefully wrapping her arms around her chest as if speaking those words physically hurt her. 

“Tsuyuko…” Orochimaru speaks her name slowly, she leans her head back to look up at him.

“I know it sounds far fetched and bizarre, but I believe I was reincarnated here. I don’t know why I have my memories from my life before this but I know them to be true.” He hms at her response, Jiraiya clears his throat, fingers rested on his chin he gives her a thoughtful look.

“So then why did you never tell anyone?” He asks, she shrugs.

“I never really thought anyone would believe me, honestly I surprise you three aren’t hauling me down to psych right now. But I’ve never tried to hide it either, though no one asks questions about child prodigies during wartime it seems. There are like ten in this generation alone and I’m not including myself here.” It was a good point. During war no one paid attention to smart children.

“If what you said is true then won’t revealing this knowledge change everything?” Tsunade asks, she stumbles a bit on the word knowledge as it feels a bit wrong to say. Tsuyuko shrugs again.

“Probably. But I don’t really care. I don’t want to have to watch the people I love die a second time. If you want to tell the Sandaime I won’t try to stop you, but I wouldn’t tell the elders and I wouldn’t trust Shimura with the information.” Is all she says in response. 

Because physically she was a nine year old girl, how the hell was she supposed to stop them.

“You are something else kid, really. Reincarnation is not impossible, just highly improbable.” Jiriaya mutters. 

“So you believe me then?” She sounds almost relieved. Orochimaru rests his hand on top of her head ruffling the wild curls slightly.

“Yes we do.” He is the one to say, because he can tell by the looks on his own teammates' faces that they do believe her despite how wild her story may be. The real question was what were they going to do about this information.

“We will still need to talk to the old man about this all though. Tsuyuko, tell us more about this story. Specifically why you don’t think we should trust Shimura.” Tsuyuko nods at the order barked by Tsunade.

“Yeah, sure. Uh but can we go check on Nawaki first? I want to make sure he is okay…” She trails off. Tsunade’s features soften a tad and she smiles.

“Nawaki first, and then you will tell us all about this story understood?” Tsuyuko nods a tiny smile on her face.

“Hai Tsunade-sensei.”

…

Nawaki is half prepared for the assault that comes. Assault is probably a mean way to phrase it, cuddles were probably a better way to put it. No matter how it was stated it did not change the vice but the careful hug he has found himself in. Tsuyuko’s hair tickles his neck and face as she hugs him.

“Thank kami you are awake. Don’t ever do anything so stupid again.” She tells him once she pulls away. Nawaki looks away from the intense look she gives, he doesn’t want to look at the tears pooling in the corner of her eyes.

“Gah Suyu don’t cry I am fine. You saved my life.” He says but that seems to be the wrong thing because suddenly she’s really crying.

“I wouldn’t have had to save your life if you didn’t go putting yourself in danger Nawa! You don’t always need to be the hero! And if you ever tell me to leave you behind again I will break your arm.” She yells tears streaming down her face before she just buries her head into his chest. He looks up at their sensei who had come in with her and he chuckles at his expense.

“She has a point Nawaki, that was a dick move.” Nawaki glares at Himura who did nothing to help him. The Hyuga boy raises his only visible brow.

He would not be getting any help from him it seemed.

“Tsuyuko.” Orochimaru calls out her name and she sits up immediately to pout at him, Nawaki doesn’t miss the look he gives her and the nod in response but before he can ask what that was about Tsuyuko has switched gears and pecks his cheek with a sunny smile.

“I have to go, I still haven’t filled my mission report so _someone_ is making me do it now. But I’ll be back later I promise, be good for the nurses and don’t talk Himura’s ear off.” She jumps off the bed and bounds over to Orochimaru. Nawaki watches as their sensei sighs at her as he ushers her out of the room.

“Was that weird or is it just me?” Nawaki asks Himura who nods.

“No it was weird to me too. Sensei is being secretive about something.” Himura grumbles crossing his arms over his chest.

“Do you think Tsuyuko knows what it is? Has she really not turned in her mission report? That’s not like her…” Nawaki trails off, eyes drifting back to the vacant doorway.

“Up until last night she hasn’t left the hospital for anything. So it is very likely that she has in fact not turned in her report. But I don’t think that’s what's going on here…”

“Weird..”

“Agreed.”

…

Tsunade draped a blanket over the sleeping girl. It was late by the time she’d finished telling them everything she remembered. So it hadn’t taken Tsuyuko long to fall asleep on the couch in Jiraiya’s apartment while they talked. Orochimaru was unusually quiet not, he seemed lost in thought staring almost blankly at the wall behind her.

Jiraiya sat on the floor looking over the notes he wrote. Tsunade shook her head and leaned over the top of the couch. “What is eating you Orochimaru?” She didn’t want to particularly think about the crimes Tsuyuko said he would commit, or the fact that she herself would abandon the village, or any of the terrible things to come the girl had told them about. He snapped out of his thoughts and blinked at her.

“I think we should wait before we say anything to sensei… I think Tsuyuko is right. We need to be wary. Shimura is dangerous.” Tsunade bites her lip.

“Yeah, I think you're right. Jiraiya what do you think?” Jiraiya snaps his head up, he hadn’t been paying them any attention.

“I want to check in on the Ame kids before we do anything. As long as that is okay with you two.” 

“That would be a good indication to the validity of her story, it sounds reasonable to me.” Surprisingly it’s Orochimaru who agrees. Tsunade looks at him for a moment.

“Orochimaru… what she said about you…” She looks down, guilty almost. Tsunade didn’t want to believe they were a possibility. But she was going to need confirmation. Orochimaru sighs.

“The sharingan does fascinate me, but I have no desire to experiment on children. Maybe if Nawaki had died and things been different I could have possibly gone down that path. But here and now I am loyal to my village.” He tells them.

It is enough for them. Tsunade nods as she glances at Tsuyuko’s sleeping form and cannot help but to sigh. 

“I knew she was going to be a handful.” 

Orochimaru chuckles. 

**XOXOX**

**The big reveal. Which is the truth, and nothing but it. No lying or manipulation here. Just the cold hard truth. Gotta love it I suppose. I do.**

**I think it’s fun when SI aren’t trying to manipulate the plot without saying anything about the fact that the world around them used to be fiction. It’s fun to me.**

**Anyway thank you for all the kind words! I hope you enjoyed this chapter!**

**~LaRae**

  
  



	4. Promotion Blues

**Promotion Problems**

_ “Happiness is not something ready made. It comes from your own actions.” _

**~ Dalai Lama XIV**

**.4**

Tsuyuko stared at the chunin vest that Orochimaru had dropped in her lap. She raised a brow at the article. “What’s this?” He gives her a pointed look. As if to say ‘we both know you know what this is’ and then takes a deep breath.

“You are being promoted.”

“I’m nine.” Her tone was incredulous, she was having a hard time facilitating. 

“You kept both of your teammates alive in high stake circumstances. Himura even said that when we all got separated you are the one who took control of the situation. The Sandaime believes you earned it.” Tsuyuko stares at him, narrowing her eyes slightly. 

“I’m nine.” She repeats trying to get him to understand what she means.

“Yes, you are physically nine years old. However this is how the world works, you should know that by now Tsuyuko.” She huffs setting the vest to her side.

“I’m not wearing it unless we're on missions.” He shook his head already expecting that from her. She had been adamant that she didn’t want things to change just because of what she told them. ‘I’m still just me, I want to be treated like everyone else, I don’t want things to change…’ Tsuyuko had pleaded with them, Tsunade had been the one to humor her then.

‘Until your physical age matches your mental age we’re treating you like a shrimp’ Tsuyuko had just smiled, a pleased look on her face.

“That’s your choice.” He tells her and then finishes going about the other task he’d set for himself that morning. 

“When will Jiraiya be back, Minato looks so sad and I don’t know what I am supposed to say.” She questions pulling the medical scroll Tsunade had her studying off the table to look over it. He doesn’t look up from the scroll he’d been reviewing, something that Jiraiya wanted to see if it was possible. A theory about how Tsuyuko’s soul got here.

“Probably a few weeks, he liked those kids a lot.” She nods at his explanation and goes back to reading her homework. Orochimaru raises his brow.

“I only invited you over to give you the chunin jacket, shouldn’t you be checking in on the boys right now.” Tsuyuko threw her head back dramatically hitting her head on the back of the chair.

“Nawaki and Himura are suspicious and I am a terrible liar. Minato looks absolutely pathetic everytime I talk to him and I don’t know how to make him feel better. I know until the three of you decide what the best option about me is that I can’t tell anybody anything…” Orochimaru sets the scroll down. He sighs.

“This is true, however I am busy and require silence to think so please go find someone else to bother.” She pouted but stood up and gathered her stuff nonetheless. Huffing dramatically as she went. Because apparently she was in a mood.

“My sensei hates me, I’m heartbroken, crushed, life is obsolete.” He rolled his eyes.

“Goodbye Tsuyuko.” She gave him a quick hug and then dashed out the door. Orochimaru shook his head. 

“Bye sensei!” The door slammed shut behind her.

…

Tsuyuko takes pity on poor sulky Minato who was missing his sensei and drags him along with her to go check on the rest of their friend group. Somehow they were all currently in the village at the same time. Really it’s not that surprising, the second war had been called a few weeks back. Around the time she’d been crying in Jiraiya’s apartment.

Gah.. not a shining memory for her really. Why was she such a crybaby? 

Which brought them to now. Standing in the middle of the marketplace because  _ someone _ now had a rival. It wasn’t Tsuyuko that’s for sure, she quite frankly hadn’t the time for that nonsense. No it was Minato. He had a rival in none other than Kushina , who Tsuyuko suspected actually had a crush on her older brother figure but that wasn’t a can she wanted to open.

“Yo Namikaze! Let’s settle this right here, right now!”Settle what? Tsuyuko looked between the two and rolled her eyes at poor Mikoto who mouthed ‘i’m sorry’. She then promptly put herself between the two older kids. Nope not on her watch they still had shit to do. 

“Yeah no, Shi-chan we’re currently on a mission to go bother the others. You two can come if you want..” Kushina deflated at her words, but then raised a brow.

“As lovely as that sounds Tsuyuko-san, Kushina and I are actually supposed to be meeting Mito-sama right now.” Oh yeah that was right the old lady was still kicking. Tsuyuko didn’t know the timeline of the transfer of Kuruma just that it happened sometime between the second and third war. So something she was going to have to pay more attention too. Fuck.

Why was this becoming so complicated?

“Another time then. Come on Minato, I can’t wait to draw on Kaku’s stupid face while he sleeps.” Minato waved behind him as Tsuyuko pulled him away from the girls. He was only slightly concerned by the declaration Tsuyuko made in regards to their friend. But honestly it didn’t surprise him, it wouldn’t be the first or the last time that she doodled on Shikaku while he napped. 

It was honestly hilarious. Although he could almost guarantee that Shikaku did not feel the same way about as the rest of them did. And lucky for him he was awake when they arrived at the Akimichi compound.

Much to the annoyance of Tsuyuko.

She flopped down next to Choza instead since he usually offered her snacks and stuck her tongue out when Shikaku smirked at her. “By the way, congratulations on your promotion Tsuyuko. It’s about time you joined the rest of us at chunin status.” Inoichi grins at her, she groans.

So it was already circulating then. Fuck. Tsuyuko hadn’t wanted to be promoted. “You got promoted? Since when?!” Minato asks, eyebrows raise, tone a little hurt. Oh yeah, she’d been with him since Orochimaru kicked her out of his apartment and she hadn’t told Minato yet. Oops..

Tsuyuko throws herself backwards into the grass, making what is honestly an overdramatic show of disgruntledness. “Since this morning. Orochimaru-sensei dropped a chunin vest in my lap. Apparently keeping my team alive during our last mission warranted it or something.” She throws her arm over her face so she doesn’t have to look at Minato.

“That’s a pretty big feat Tsu, don’t sell yourself short.” Shikaku says with an ever so lazy drawl to his tongue. Tsuyuko flips him the bird without uncovering her face.

“I didn’t want to be promoted. Unlike you all I’m only nine. It makes me seem dangerous, and I don’t want that attention.” Which was the truth. She wanted to just go quietly about her business of trying to keep her idiots alive instead of being on the elders watch list.

She did not want to be on any list created by those three morons.

“Then you should have stayed behind a grade or two. Don’t complain Tsu, promotions happen quickly during wartimes so they don’t feel as bad as sending kids to slaughter.” Tsuyuko pushes herself up quickly to stare at Shikaku. Such callus words, so cold, her heart… Yeah no it just fucking showed that she talked to damn much around them. He wouldn’t say shit like that if it wasn’t for her influence in all of their lives.

Hell she almost felt guilty. “You sound like sensei, stop. Minato I am sorry I didn’t tell you right away, I’m still trying to process it myself. Inoichi who did you even hear that from?” 

“Promotion lists are posted in the missions center. I saw your name on it when I was up there this morning doing some work for my dad.” Tsuyuko turned that information over in her head for a minute.

That sounded like a terrible idea.

“Isn’t that dangerous?” Thankfully someone else picks up on it and questions. Inoichi shrugs. They move on from that topic, but Tsuyuko still mulls on the thought for a little while after.

Sometimes she wished she were older just so she could have a drink when something stupid like that came to her attention. There was so much that hadn’t been talked about in the storyline, so many fucking oversights. Anytime they surprised her she wanted to drink for the sheer stupidity of some of them. Like this one.

Why would they post a list like that? It didn’t make sense, it was literally asking for trouble. Maybe some of the names were fake? No that didn’t make sense either because then there would be questions if no one recognized them.. 

“Choza do you think your mom will mind if we use the kitchen?” Choza, who had been discussing something with Inoichi about a previous mission, turns to glance at her.

“Probably not.. But why?” 

“I want to make cake. Since we missed birthdays this year, we should just have one big mock party to celebrate. Plus I just really want cake.” Since she was too young to drink, she could at least distract herself by baking and consuming surgery confections right?

“That sounds fun, let me go ask mom. Be right back.” Tsuyuko nods, whipping her head around to stare at Minato. Completely missing the weird look Shikaku throws at her.

“Since your birthday was last you pick what kind of cake we’re going to make.” Minato shakes his head.

“You pick, you were the one who suggested cake not me. Besides Choza’s mom hasn’t even said yes yet.” Tsuyuko waves off his concern, because their apartment also had an oven they could move the impromptu party to there if the need arose. It was just convenient that they were currently here.

“No Tsuyuko cannot pick, she’ll pick something gross like lavender or phigs.” Inoichi jumps in with his own two cents on the matter. Which earns him a stuck out tongue.

“Well you don’t get to choose either Ino, cause then it’s just going to be a matcha cake or worse chocolate.” Tsuyuko declares hands on hips, utterly childish expression upon her face. Distraction, that’s what they all needed.

“Why don’t we just go get different flavors of mochi or something in the market.” Shikaku suggests. Choza returns not nearly as chipper as he was when he left.

“Mom is heading out and she doesn’t want us to use the kitchen unsupervised after last time.” Tsuyuko crossed her arms and pouted. Unfortunate. 

It did make sense though. Since last time the boys used the kitchen without supervision they made a huge mess and almost started a fire. Tsuyuko had arrived just as everything was going to hell. It had been super annoying to clean up.

This was why she called them idiots.

“I guess we’ll just have to go with Kaku’s suggestion. To the marketplace!” They all rolled their eyes at her dramatics, each boy taking their sweet time to get off the ground. Despite how annoying Tsuyuko tried to be to get them to hurry up.

...

Jiraiya’s blood boiled as he looked at the desolation around him. Well at least he now knew the kid hadn’t been lying. On the brightside his former students we’re still alive. The same could not be said for Hanzo though..

**XOXOX**

**Not as long as the last chapter but I think it works. Also there is probably going to be a time skip coming up within the next chapter or so. Like I said in the first chapter this is really just a self-indulgent fic for me so I’m not taking myself too seriously here. That being said I am really grateful for all the feedback and kind words I have gotten in regards to this. So... thanks, you guys rock!**

**~LaRae**


	5. Friends Don't Keep Secrets

**Friends Don’t Keep Secrets**

_ “When we are tired, we are attacked by ideas we conquered long ago.” _

**~ Friedrich Nietzsche**

**.5**

This is a problem. Tsuyuko decided after a terse moment of staring at what was really a mess of a filling system. Orochimaru had been too busy with whatever secret thing he was doing with what she told him and Jiraiya still wasn’t back from Ame but Tsuyuko needed a break from her friends and Nawaki was in physical therapy and Himura was doing clan stuff. So here she found herself rather disappointed by the hospital's filing system, or honestly the overall lack of classification and how easily she’d been able to break into said poorly constructed system.

For fucks sake this was supposed to be a ninja village. This information couldn’t just be out there for anyone to get there hands on. Obviously the whole promotion thing was still getting to her.

“This is a fucking mess.” She grumbled before sitting down and appointing herself the fixer of said mess.

Tsunade was only mildly annoyed when she stumbled upon her in the archives room. The annoyance dissipates when Tsuyuko glances up, piercing green eyes full of upset. “What are you doing?” Tsunade asks while walking over.

“I’m converting the filing system over to something more secure, at least for the shinobi core at least. I already reorganized the filing system for the civilian cases, it’s lightly coded for patient confidentiality reasons but will be easier to manage and file.” Tsunade pins her with a look before shaking her head and reaching for the notes in the girls lap.

Tsuyuko hands them over easily before dropping the file in her hand into an open seal next to her leg on the floor. Tsunade watches as the file vanishes and the scroll slams shut. “When did you learn to do that, I’m pretty sure Orochimaru isn’t teaching you seals.” Mainly because it wasn’t his thing and Tsuyuko had already loaded herself down with her medical ninjutsu studies. She offered an uncommitted hum, pulling another pile from the stack and going about the task she’d set for herself.

“He didn’t, I borrowed a book from Jiraiya’s last time I was at his apartment, also Minato uses me to soundboard all his theories since Jiraiya is out of the village and he can’t practice without him.” Tsunade raises a brow at the child.

“If Jiraiya told Minato he couldn’t practice fuinjutsu without him what makes you think you can?”

“Sensei didn’t tell me I couldn't, besides I’m only using a basic seal for sorting nothing special.” She barely looks up when Tsunade let’s out an exasperated sigh.

“Alright what makes you think you can just rearrange the filing system? Those are shinobi personal medical files… you know classified information.” Tsuyuko shrugs at the tone.

“Nothing is coded, everything is a mess, files were literally just thrown on the floor when I walked it. My way is better I promise. Now do you want to help me? Or can I get back to it…..” Tsuyuko trails off plopping another file into the scroll beside her.

Tsunade shakes her head. “Well explain to me what you’ve done, and next time ask first. Also where are those files going?” Tsuyuko beams, she looks absolutely ecstatic.

“Those are ANBU files I’m pretty sure, so I’m putting them elsewhere for safe keeping. I don’t know how to give them to ANBU per say but other people shouldn’t just be able to walk in and find them.” At that Tsunade loses it. Shaking her head while rubbing a hand over her face.

She apparently hadn’t realized everything was this disorganized.

They spend the next several hours organizing everything. It takes much longer than Tsuyuko has originally anticipated and by the time they finish it’s already midnight. Tsunade walks her home and Tsuyuko collapses on the couch.

Well at least it wouldn’t be a pain to look at patient information now. She was going to have to figure out how to get the ANBU files to someone more certified to deal with though…

That was a problem for tomorrow.

.

“Your student is a holy terror Orochimaru.” Tsunade informs him as she takes a seat next to him. She’d let herself in again. He sighs.

“Do I want to know what she did?” 

“She broke into the hospital’s archives room and reorganized everything. Which while it now works better, is not something she needs to be going about doing randomly.” It almost sounds like Tsunade is chastising him. He raises his brow.

“I fail to see how that is my problem.”

“Just don’t let her do it again, she needs distractions and I don’t think anyone wants her to go try to reorganize any other archives. I do wonder what’s bothering her though… according to Nawaki she only reorganizes things when she’s nervous or upset.” No, that sounded like a horrible idea. Orochimaru shook his head.

“I will talk to her about it.” 

…

Orochimaru finds Tsuyuko a few days later obsessively cleaning her shared apartment. He raises a brow at Jiraiya’s student who let him in that morning. “She’s been doing this for almost two hours, but she won’t tell me what's wrong.” The blonde child informs him. All he can do is sigh.

That sounded like something she would do.

“Tsuyuko.” He waited until she was almost off the step stool to call out her name. Mostly because he knew she was so focused that she hadn’t realized he was even there. As predicted she stumbles.

“Ow…” Orochimaru rolls his eyes. Dramatic child. She looks up at him rubbing her head, completely startled.

“Hey sensei, what are you doing here?” 

“Coming to collect you so we can discuss your latest hobbies.” She bites her lip standing slowly. Nervously. 

“Am I in trouble?” 

“That depends on your answer. Why did you break into the hospital's archives to reorganize everything?” He watches as she fiddles with her hair, pulls at the hem of her sleeve, anything other than to look at him.

“Sensei, is it common practice to post a promotion list at the mission desk?” He narrows his eyes.

Not that he knew of. 

…

Tsuyuko felt slightly better after talking to Orochimaru about the list thing. She hadn’t been wrong in her uneasy feeling, apparently it wasn’t common practice at all at least not that he knew of. So he was going to personally look into it for her and then told her to tell someone next time instead going on a compulsive organizational spree. Minato frowned at her after Orochimaru left.

“Tsu you know you can talk to me about stuff right? Why didn’t you say anything?” He questions and she baulks because fuck she hadn’t been thinking. She opened her mouth to reply and then instantly shut it taking the cowards way out and shunshining away.

Fuck… she was really screwing things up with her friends lately. She hadn’t seen Nawaki since he got out of the hospital, she’s been avoiding Himura since the news that he’d lost more sight in his eye than they’d originally thought. Tsuyuko was having emotions that she didn’t know how to deal with, most of which stemmed from telling the sannin the truth, they believed her which was great but she now was even more afraid about what that was going to do… tsuyuko wanted to believe that she didn’t care about what happened as a consequence but the truth was she did.

She didn’t want her action to be the new cause of her friend's destruction. That fear was making it really hard for her to focus on anything, everything was making her jumpy, anytime she looked at any of them she kept seeing their faces as lifeless corpses.

“I found you!” Tsuyuko looked up and started, she’d sunshine away to the market place and had been mindlessly wandering around. She was not at all prepared to deal with Nawaki and Himura’s sudden appearance.

Like a deer in the headlights she froze. What was she supposed to do? She couldn’t think. Couldn’t force herself to move.

Himura gracefully grabs her arm and pulls her from the marketplace. Nawaki walks beside them with the aid of crutches, he was doing much better. He could walk, assisted, but he could walk. So his physical therapy was going well then.

“You would know that if you bothered to come around. What’s going on with Suyu?” Nawaki mutters once they finally come to a stop. Oh she must have muttered that outloud then. Tsuyuko stutters.

“Uhhh..”

“So eloquent with words. Why are you avoiding us? I thought we were teammates. Friends.” Himura pokes at her side she squirms, mainly because that tickled and the accusation in his eyes was eating away at her.

“Yeah Suyu, friends don’t keep secrets. What’s going on with you? You’re being weirder than normal.” At that both watch in absolute shock as she completely vanishes in front of them.

No puff of smoke. No indication of shunshin. Nothing, just gone. Both boys share a look of shock. What the hell just happened?

“We should go get sensei..”

“Agreed”

…

Tsuyuko was definitely hyperventilating. Why was she acting like this? Why did this keep happening? She’d taken one look at their faces and all she could see was them dead and covered in blood. Fuck she needed to pull herself together, now was not the time to have a fucking panic attack. She needed to pull herself together and face her problems… but she just couldn’t.

She didn’t even understand why she was having these problems...

Cue the pinging in the back of her. Rapidly increasing into a serious headache. Tsuyuko slammed her eyes shut, in that moment all she wanted to do was disappear and hide. She did not want to face her problems at all. Currently she just wanted to curl up in a ball.

“Hiding doesn’t really solve your problems kid.” 

Tsuyuko doesn’t open her eyes, she wasn’t really sure where she was and she didn’t really want to find out. 

“Kid either come out from under the desk or I will drag you out.” She opened her eyes then and came face to face with a silver haired jonin that she didn’t know.

Technically she knew of him, but she had never met Hatake Sakumo personally. Which brought about the question of her current location and how in the seven hells had she ended up wherever this was. Shit… she was going to be in so much trouble.

“Ugh… hello…” 

“Do I want to know how you got in here?” His tone is mirthful, but his face tells a bit of a different story.

“I don’t know… where are we?” The man raises his brow at her. Because she couldn’t have been serious right. There was no way for someone to get in this office without intentionally trying.

“Kid this is the ANBU commanders office, what do you mean you don’t know?”

Shit… she was going to be in so much trouble. Sensei was going to kill her. Okay that’s a little dramatic, but he wasn’t going to be happy for sure. Him or her teammates who she’d pulled a houdini on and they didn’t even know what that meant! This wasn’t helping her headache at all. Instead all she can do is repeat herself.

“I’m sorry… I really don’t know how I got here.”

The silver haired man huffs in absolute exasperation. He could tell she wasn’t lying but it still didn’t change the fact that that shouldn’t have been possible. Sakumo rubs a hand over his face this was going to require a shit ton of investigation and fucking paperwork. He hated paperwork.

“What’s your name kid?”

“Raida Tsuyuko sir, I’m a chunin and a student of Orochimaru.” She supplies the information easily. Sakumo sighs deeper. Still didn’t explain how she got in here, but he at least now had somewhere to start in trying to figure that out.

This was just great. This was exactly how he wanted to spend his day.

“Alright kid, first let’s see if we can figure out how you got here and then we’ll go talk to your sensei and the Hokage about it.” Tsuyuko nods.

Well at least he was reasonable. This could have gone a lot worse had she accidentally ended up somewhere else, like a ROOT hideout or something.

Kami, she didn’t even want to think about that. But on the brightside! Tsuyuko stood to her very unimpressive height before fishing in her pack for the scroll she had put there.

“You said this was the ANBU commanders office? Does that mean your ANBU? Can you help me get these medical files where they need to go?” The Hatake man gave her a look of sheer exasperation. He shook his head as he took the scroll from her hands.

“Where did you get these from?”

“The hospital? I reorganized the filing system and found them….”

Yeah she was going to be in so much trouble.

**XOXOX**

**In which Tsuyuko causes all sorts of trouble for herself while she deals with ptsd that she doesn’t realize she has or in which she gives Orochimaru gray hairs.. Or in one learns they should not just will themselves to disappear in order to avoid talking to their friends. In a world of ninja magic this could lead to possible hazardous things.**

**Anyway thank you all for reading! I appreciate all the love and support!!**

**~LaRae**

  
  



	6. Theories to Test

**Theories to Test**

_ “Something is always born of excess: great art was born of great terror, great loneliness, great inhibitions, instabilities, and it always balances them.” _

**~Anais Nin**

**.6**

“Explain it to me again.” Tsuyuko drew in a breath of annoyance through her nose. This was ridiculous. She’d already explained herself three times. They were getting nowhere with this line of questioning.

“Nawaki and Himura were asking what was wrong with me and anytime I looked at them all I could see were their faces as if they were rotting corpses. I couldn’t handle it and in that moment all I wanted was to disappear, and I guess I did. I don’t know how I ended up in that office, only that one second I was in the park with my teammates and the next I wasn’t.” Orochimaru made an annoyed ticking sound at her explanation he drew in a sharp breath.

“Tsuyuko…” She looked down at her shoes. Tsuyuko didn’t want to look at his disappointed face. She listened as her sensei sighed.

“Hatake-san I am sorry that my student disrupted your work. I will look into the incident and talk to the Hokage about it. Thank you for bringing her to me.” 

“I’m going to have to write a report about it since it is technically a breach of security…” 

“I am aware, I will still brief the Hokage on the situation as it stands since she is my responsibility nonetheless.” Tsuyuko gulped, sensei didn’t sound happy at all.

After the Hatake clan head left Orochimaru turned his full attention to his tiny emotional student. She wouldn’t look at him, blatantly staring at the floor picking at the hem of her sweater. The annoyance he felt over the entire situation began to subside to what he could only account to as worry which was also annoying but she had a way of doing that to him.

“Tsuyuko.” She looks up quickly, eyes brimming with tears again. Orochimaru wanted to sigh, he felt like that was all he ever did when she was around. He wished she wouldn’t be so emotional. It wasn’t a good trait for a shinobi to possess at all.

And while it made sense for the physical limits of her age it still was rather concerning. Most shinobi had a good grasp on their emotional control at this point. Tsuyuko did not. She never had. Even before she revealed her secret to him.

“How long have you been seeing them like you described?” He asks instead of the thousands of questions he has about how in the hell she disappeared and ended up in the ANBU commanders office. She was lucky that the ANBU commander was in there when it happened or else who knows what would have happened.

Orochimaru liked the Hatake man. He was reasonable. Better yet whenever he was around he could control Jiraiya which was always a plus. Jiraiya and Hatake were good friends, his teammate had a lot of respect for the other man.

Tsuyuko burst into streams of tears, she practically leaps at him burying her head in his chest like she did whenever uncomfortable. Despite his usual distaste for personal contact. He wrapped one arm around her shoulders.

“It’s gotten worse.” Is all she can manage as she cries. Orochimaru shakes his head. Stubborn girl.

This is the scene Nawaki and Himura come running into. “Sensei! Tsuyuko is missing!” Tsuyuko cries harder in his arms, her muffled distress is what halts the boys. They finally realize what exactly they're seeing. Well at least they’d found her. Nawaki huffs in annoyance.

“What?! Who said you could hug sensei without us. Group hug!” Nawaki declares dramatically, he drops his crutch to hobble over to them. He practically pulls Tsuyuko out of Orochimaru’s arms. The sannin of course lets him. Tsuyuko loved hugs, she was the most affectionate child he’d ever met.

“Tsuyuko… your core is all distressed. I believe Nawaki is right.” Himura joins them, Orochimaru sighs in exasperation at the puddle of genin on the floor. This was exhausting. How did he end up with such a group?

It’s worse when they practically pull him down to join their little puddle.

…

It’s par for the course that Tsuyuko ends up crying herself asleep. Exhaustion claiming it's victory. Orochimaru wondered if she’d been sleeping at all since they returned from the border. She’s curled up in a tiny ball, meak, and fragile between his other two students who had yet to get off the floor. Nawaki was absentmindedly playing with one of Tsuyuko’s wild curls. 

Curly hair was a common trait in the Land of Fire, not to the degree in which Tsuyuko had curls. Orochimaru wondered about her parents for a moment. She was an orphan, much like him, much like a lot of ninja. She had the typical coloring of the land of fire, fair skin that coppered when tanned. Tsunade had once compared the color of her eyes to the forest after it rained, Orochimaru could agree with that assessment although he may argue that they were the color of warning the forest took before a storm. He believes her parents, at least one of them, had been on the smaller side since his student was the smallest girl in her age group. While she may have been nine now she still looked six or seven, which made her appear tiny in comparison to the boys. Nawaki at almost thirteen and Himura who was eleven they’d both already hit one of their growth spurts, so they drafted their teammate easily. Orochimaru briefly wondered if perhaps her apparently stunted development had anything to do with her reincarnation status, he would have to look into that.

“Alright spill sensei, we know you know what’s going on. What is wrong with Tsuyuko? She won’t even look at us. Namikaze said she bolted from their apartment this morning when he tried to talk to her, and we all know how much she loves Namikaze.” Yes that was true Tsuyuko had claimed the fellow orphan as her brother when they were children. Even though she kept her parents last name for enrollment, she still marked Jiraiya’s student as her next of kin.

“Are you accusing me of something Nawaki-kun?” 

“Yes. You and Tsuyuko are keeping secrets. Secrets don’t make friends sensei.” Orochimaru raised his brow at the younger boy. Wonderful it seemed Nawaki had rubbed off on him.

“Why don’t you ask her yourself.” Tsuyuko barely opens her eyes from her spot to glare at him. So she wasn’t sleeping well, usually she would have been out longer. It looked like he may have to take her to see a Yamanaka.. Which didn’t sound like a good idea at all.

She uses Nawaki as a clutch as she pulls herself upright, rubbing her eyes and not even bothering to conceal how tired she was from them. Tsuyuko leaned her head into Himura’s shoulder because his height was closer to her’s and required less work to get comfortable.

“Sensei…” She practically whines. But it’s not annoyance that is laced in her voice, more like anxiety ridden nervousness. Tsuyuko didn’t know how to tell them what was wrong with her without telling them the truth.

Tsuyuko didn’t won’t to lie to them. She didn’t like lying.

“Tell them.” 

“Can we trust the walls?” He breaths in and holds up a privacy seal. It does show him how very little she trusts certain people in the village though.

“I died.” Straight to the point. It goes over as well as one expects.

…

“Sensei… is it true? Do you really believe her?” Nawaki questions carefully some hours later. Tsuyuko was asleep again, she’d been moved to the small futon in his lab. She didn’t tell her teammates every single detail like she’d told them but she told them the basics.

Himura was sitting across from her watching her sleep with activated doujutsu. Which would have been rude but her chakra system was in hyper overdrive and he was trying to determine cause. He notices it when she panicked earlier, it may have been why she just vanished.

“Yes I do. You should too Nawaki because from what she told me about it, in the story she remembers you died.” Orochimaru answers Nawaki not even bothering to look up from his research. He still had a bunch of work to do, and if they were going to insist on staying then he was going to work regardless.

“It would make sense, at least it explains why her core looks the way it does.” Himura pipes up standing from his stop and meandering over to where the other two were sitting.

“Her chakra core?” Nawaki questions, giving Himura a funny look. He was going to need further elaboration.

“Sort of… It’s a little hard to explain, her core has an unusual amount of spiritual energy. I think chakra paper could give a better ratio, but my guess is that her spiritual energy will marginally be more than her physical energy. There’s also a bundle of energy just sitting at the base of her neck.. I think it may be causing her headache…” Himura trails off as he glances back at her. She snores softly in her sleep.

Orochimaru knew what they’d be doing when she woke up then. 

“That sounds weird. Does energy usually sit on peoples neck?” Nawaki asks, he had a good grasp on how the pathways worked. That just didn’t sound right.

“Not like it’s sitting in Tsuyuko’s neck. Usually there is a continuous flow through the pathways there but in Tsuyuko it’s like it’s almost blocked, or she has so much spiritual energy in her core that it’s overflowing and stagnating in other regions of her body. I didn’t notice that when she was using medical ninjutsu.” Orochimaru stopped what he was doing to look up. He glanced at Himura.

“When she uses medical ninjutsu what does she look like?” 

“Balanced.”

Well then.. Seems they have some theories to test.

**XOXOX**

**Somehow this now has something of a plot.. I wasn’t expecting that to be honest. Oh well. This is still really indulgent for me. I’m going to keep it light for the most part… I think. Time skip is coming soon. More interaction with Sakumo to come as well, and baby/toddler Kakashi as well.**

**I know that Tsuyuko is really a crybaby, she doesn’t have a good lid on her emotions at all. Hopefully she will be able to get a grasp on it soon. But she’s a nine year old, her soul may be older but she’s still her physical age.**

**Ages for the kiddos as it stands currently.**

**Nawaki : 13ish**

**Himura : 11**

**Tsuyuko: 9**

**Minato: 11**

**Ino/Shika/Cho: 12-13ish**

**Kushina: 11**

**Mikoto:13ish**

**Ages are weird in the Naruto verse.. You know there are some obvious plot holes there.. But we won’t get into that.**

**The sannin are somewhere in their mid to late twenties.**

**Anyway… thank you all for reading!! Love you guys bunches :)**

**~LaRae**


	7. Until Nothing is Left

**Until Nothing is Left**

_ “War is what happens when language fails.” _

**~ Margaret Atwood**

**.7**

“So you used to be someone else….” Minato trails off uncertainty. He keeps looking at her like she’d grown a third head or something. Tsuyuko nods sagely, throwing herself backward to lay on their apartment floor. She covers her face with both of her arms.

“Yeah. I know that I used to be a doctor, that I liked the color green, but like I don’t remember what my name was or how I died. It’s weird. I remember other details but not those things.” Tsuyuko guessed her subconscious held on to what had been important to her and let go of all the superficial stuff. Funny that a story from her first youth had been more important to her than her own name.

“It’s probably a good thing you don’t remember how you died before, are you sure you're okay? You could have told me before?” Tsuyuko loved Minato, he was such a kind soul. She didn’t deserve him at all.

“I didn’t know how. It’s not something that there’s like a guide for, no book that gives you the keys to play out the scenario. It’s a little odd. In my old world reincarnation was just a religious theory, there was no proof it was real at all. Unlike here where we have magical ninja bullshit and anything is possible.” She almost sounds bitter. Minato snorts at the description.

“That’s fair. Past life or not you're still Tsuyuko to me. Just don’t shut me out in the future okay, I thought you were upset with me.” He admits scooting over to sit next to her.

“Sorry Mi-nee. I wasn’t upset with you, just with myself I guess. Sensei says that he thinks I have some kind of PTSD over it…” He nods.

“Are you going to see psych about it? Can you even? What is Orochimaru-sama going to tell the Hokage?” Tsuyuko shrugs.

“Not yet. I don’t think so, Himura thinks it may be a bad idea to let anyone access my subconscious, he doesn’t think my pathways can handle the added stress. I’m not sure, he and the other sannin are thinking of something, the fact that I have some kind of foreknowledge as mute of a point as it may be now is dangerous information….” Uncertainty fills her tongue. She’s not sure of anything at this point.

“What’s going on with your pathways?” 

At that Tsuyuko groans think of all the fucking test sensei made her do after she woke up from her nap.

“So much shit is wrong with them Mi-nee. So much shit. But now I know the culprit of my headaches… So I suppose that’s a plus. Hey you wanna go get ramen? I don’t feel like cooking.” He rolls his eyes and helps her off the floor. They had a perfectly good couch she could sit on but she always just plopped on the ground.

“Sure.”

…

Tsuyuko stared down at the young child that had been set in front of her. “What is this?” She asks looking up to see the bemused expression of the Hatake man. He was interesting for sure, he'd periodically been checking in on her since the incident. She didn’t mind it persay.. But it was kind of annoying. Something about Sakumo’s attitude towards her annoyed her. She couldn’t play it just yet.

“This is a toddler Yu-chan, my son Kakashi.” She narrows her eyes at him.

“Yes I understand that Sakumo-san, why did you set him in front of me while I’m eating lunch.” He chuckles.

“I need you to watch him for a bit.” Well then. She crossed her arms over her chest.

“I have hospital duties later today.” 

“I already cleared it with Senju, she cleared you for the rest of the afternoon.” Then he left. Leaving poor baby Kakashi with her. Tsuyuko groaned. What a jerk.

“Well looks like you’re stuck with me then Kakashi-kun. What do you want to do kid?”

“Training.” The toddler supplies, he’s probably three or four. Tsuyuko isn’t too sure. She frowns, biting her lip as she thinks.

“Okay then.”

When Sakumo returned a few hours later to retrieve his son from the interesting young kunoichi that belonged to Orochimaru he found her cuddling Kakashi in her lap while healing a cut on his hand. Her eyes were closed, hands wrapped around Kakashi’s much smaller one. There was a bit of blood on her khaki skirt but she seemed not to mind. He tilted his head to watch, Kakashi looked at him after a moment. Finally noticing his presence.

“We accidentally broke a dish, Kakashi tried to help clean it up. I apologize for letting him get hurt.” Tsuyuko doesn’t open her eyes, doesn’t let go of Kakashi’s little hand as the green glow of medical ninjutsu subsides. 

“Kakashi are you okay?” He asks his son nods solemnly which looks weird coming from his four year old but he didn’t expect anything less.

“Then I suppose there isn’t anything for you to apologize for Yu-chan. Accidents happen.” At that she opens her eyes. There was an inscrutable amount of guilt resting in her gaze. Sakumo sighed.

“Kakashi go wait outside. I want to talk to Yu-chan for a moment.” Kakashi nodded, Tsuyuko gave him a soft hug before letting him go. He scrambled out of her lap and headed to the door. He waved goodbye before disappearing out the door.

“You remind me a lot of my late wife.” Although Sukumo supposed that might have been because his wife was Tsuyuko’s mother… Information he had not shared with the child of course, it wasn’t even information that the village knew.

Sakumo hadn’t known his wife when she’d given birth to Tsuyuko. But he had listened to the story when she told it, she’d been young too young to have a child, only a child herself, she’d kept the pregnancy a secret and delivered Tsuyuko out of the village prematurely in the middle of winter. She brought the child back as a supposed orphan from an outskirt village that had been ravaged. His wife was barely thirteen then, a chunin in the middle of the first war, she made a decision and she had to live with it. Was it a choice that he agreed with… no.. they had fault about it when it finally came out in the open. But there was nothing he could do, Tsuyuko was already a genin at that point under the teachings of a sannin. Her orphan status had finally warranted her a parental figure, his hands were tied.

“Suyuri-sama, I think I met her once when I was younger. She used to visit the kids at the orphanage. She was a real nice lady.” He wondered if she’d feel that way if he ever told her the truth.

“Yeah she was, kid. Thanks for looking after Kakashi today, looks like I know who I’ll be picking the next time I have a mission.” Tsuyuko stuck her tongue out at him.

“Yeah yeah, but make it an official request so I can at least get some D-rank credit.” He snorted. 

“We’ll see kid, we’ll see.” Sakumo didn’t know if he was ever going to tell her the truth about her mother. But he could at least make sure his son had a relationship with his older sister, even if they didn’t know they were related.

Although he would probably have to tell Orochimaru that he knew how Tsuyuko broke into his office.

…

There was about a year of nothing really interesting happening. A lull between wars, cause Tsuyuko was still convinced the third one was going to happen at some point. The Sannin still hadn’t made a move with her information even though they had all the proof from Jiraiya’s trip to Ame. Which was fine, a war had just ended another may start soon, obviously bigger priorities. But they promised that they were still working on it, Orochimaru told her that they needed undeniable proof to go up against an opponent like Danzo and that they were just going to have to be patient. 

Sakumo brough Kakashi around more which was fun, because the kid was an adorable little genius that Tsuyuko loved spending time with. But she didn’t really like the strange looks the Hatake man would throw at her occasionally. She’d akind it pity but she couldn’t figure out why and that bothered her more than anything.

Tsuyuko loved knowing why. Not knowing something made her skin crawl.

“Now you know how the rest of us feel.” She snorted at Nawaki. He and Himura were visiting her for lunch while she worked shifts at the hospital. Tsuyuko split her time these times between training, some missions, and the hospital.

She waved Nawaki off as she watched Dan try and fail at his attempt to flirt with Tsunade from across the courtyard. “Mah she really doesn't like him does she…”

Tsuyuko didn’t really like him either. He was nice, but arrogant and he treated her like a child and not the fully competent medic she was. Like the doctor she had been. Dan paled in comparison to the amount of training and experience Tsuyuko had but she tried to keep it on the downlow so only Tsunade knew the true extent of her medical knowledge.

In a year or two she could show off her superior skills with no issue but right now the sannin were still trying to keep her from exposing herself too much. She loved them so much. 

“Tsuyuko what are you thinking about? You're making that face you make when you want to hug sensei..” She turns to smile at her teammates.

“Just how much I love sensei. I think I’ll give him a hug next time I see him.”

“I’m sure sensei is going to love that.” Sarcasm she’s sure but Tsuyuko just hums happily.

“I’m pretty sure sensei had desensitized himself by now.”

“Probably.”

“I could just hug you two instead if you keep being rude about it.” She attempts to threaten but Nawaki grins and throws his arm around her shoulders. He side-hugs her, Himura shakes his head at their ridiculousness.

“Suyu if you had wanted a hug all you had to do was ask.”

“Hey Tsuyuko breaks up!” She reluctantly gets up to leave her teammates.

“Coming Tsunade-sensei! Bye boys!”

…

Tsuyuko is eleven almost twelve when something finally happens. Shimura Danzo suffers a heart attack and dies. She is entirely unconvinced of the supposed natural causes, but the immense relief she feels when the news is announced is enough to bring her to her knees. Despite what should have been good news for her, she cannot help but feel as if something terrible is going to happen soon.

A month later they are forced into another theatre of war. A three tiered alliance from Kusa, Kumo, and Iwa are the cause of the war this time. Not some failed mission on Konaha’s behalf, no blame on them this time. They did not knowingly instigate this war.

Danzo had, is what Orochimaru tells her in hushed conversation, and it had cost him his head. Tsuyuko wanted to vomit.

She hated war. War took, and took, and took, and didn’t give back. It would keep taking until nothing was left.

Hyuga Himura is among the first casualties. 

**XOXOX**

**I am so sorry….**

**~LaRae**


	8. I'm Sorry, But Did You Die?

**I’m Sorry, But Did You Die?**

_ “Only people who are capable of loving strongly can also suffer great sorrow, but this same necessity of loving serves to counteract their grief and heals them.” _

**~ Leo Tolstoy**

**.8**

There was no time to grieve properly. No time to regain bearings. There was too much to do. So little time to do it. Tsuyuko is sent to the fronts as a medic within weaks, with this comes a promotion to special jounin. A desire to bury herself so deeply in her duties so she doesn’t have to deal with her grief.

Minato at fourteen was already a jounin, he’d gotten the promotion with his mastery of the second time space seals, is given an apprentice in the shape of Hatake Kakashi. Sakumo asked Jiraiya, so Kakashi would have someone if something happened. The kid was a genius and child geniuses needed to be protected. Jiraiya agreed because it kept Minato in the village for the most part and far away from the fronts. Tsuyuko is glad, one less person she has to worry about. 

Nawaki’s injuries sustained during the second war left him unable to participate in long-winded combat. He’d never reach jounin, he would be a chunin forever. Tsuyuko was just glad he was still alive, even if he himself was upset over the matter. He hadn’t wanted her to go.

“Nawaki had I been with Himura then he’d still be here now, if I don’t go more of our friends are going to die.” Nawaki balled his fist and swore.

“Don’t fucking die. You hear me Tsuyuko. Don’t leave me behind.” She’d wrapped her arms around his neck giving him one more tight hug before leaving. 

Tsuyuko makes no promises.

…

“Ow you could be gentler, healer.” She grits her teeth together as she stitches up the man’s hand. Tsuyuko thinks this is Mikoto’s husband, Fugaku the Uchiha heir. But she isn’t sure, the Uchiha all looked pretty damn similar.

“Tsu doesn’t do ‘gentle’. Be nice to her Fugaki or you’ll end up with a scar.” Tsuyuko glares at Shikaku as he enters the medic tent, not yet paying full attention to his appearance. How the fuck did she end up on the front line with these idiots? All of the Ino/Shika/Cho trio and the Uchiha heir. Sure she loved the trio but they tested her patience on a daily bases for the amount of stupid injuries they got. Even Fugaku was giving her trouble, he’s broken up two fights in the last two days. Everyone here was getting tired. They’d been on the fronts for months.

Her scowl is stopped midway through with one look at Shikaku’s bleeding face. “What in the seven hells?!” Because one hell wasn’t good enough it seemed. Tsuyuko barks orders at the other medic in the tent, a younger boy who was essentially undertrained and her assistant, to come finish the stitches on Fugaku’s arm.

“We met a not so friendly lady with claws.” Inoichi informs her as he enters the tent with Choza behind him. Fuck that.

“Injury report?” She asks hastily, forcing Shikaku to sit as she goes. 

“Nothing too serious, Shikuka got the worst of it.” She tsk at them. Unbelievable.

“Don’t even start.” Shikaku grunts as she cleans his face quickly so she can access the damage. Tsuyuko tsk at him. No way in hell was she letting this go.

“You three had one job. One. Don’t get hurt, be careful and yet here we are.” She nags. Fugaku snickers from his corner of the tent, he gets a dirty look from the Nara heir.

“Tsuyuko we are fine, it’s not serious, the wound is superficial.” He tires and she keeps on with her erratic fretting.

“That is for me to be the judge of. No sit still and let me work.”

“What a drag.” She ignores his complaints. Instead focusing on his injuries, which even with iryo- ninjutsu were going to scar. Not as bad as it would have been without iryo-ninjutsu.. But still. Scars nonetheless.

She accesses his other injuries next, dislocated shoulder, a few scrapes and bruises. Nothing life threatening. Tsuyuko pops his shoulder back into place without warning. Shikaku cries out in pain.

“A little warning next time Tsu!” He hisses at her and she glares. She was not in the mood for attitude right now.

“I’m sorry, but did you die? No. Get over it Kaku. Ino it’s your turn I can see your favoring your fucking left again, no serious injuries my ass. Get the fuck over here.” Inoichi knows better than to try to protest. No one got anywhere with Tsuyuko when she was pissed, not even Minato. She barks another order at her assistant and the boy quickly goes to check on Choza who had sustained the least amount of injuries out of the three of them.

“That’s why you're my favorite.” She tells half seriously and he chuckles.Tsuyuko misses the almost hurt expression on Shikaku’s face that has nothing to do with his injuries.

Inoichi does not.

…

“How’s your shoulder?” Tsuyuko settles gently next to him much later that evening. She looks semi apologetic, but he knew she wouldn’t say sorry. He knows why she’s on edge.

“It works. I heard about Itoka-sensei…” The other medic in their camp had died while out in the field, which meant Tsuyuko and the poor kid were the only medic in their camp. She leaned into his side, resting her head on his good shoulder. He knows she’d intintualy sat on that side. Tsuyuko slams her eyes shut, trying not to think about the shape Itako had been in when they’d been brought back.

She wouldn’t ever forget the smell of melted off flesh. Iwa shinobi played nasty.

“Reinforcements will be coming soon. Rotations are soon.We just have to make it until then.” Is all she says. Shikaku can feel the weight of her words. She’s three years younger than him, her words shouldn’t sound that heavy. 

“How’s the kid doing?” Her apprentice of sorts, he was a chunin medic in training. Tsuyuko’s responsibility now.

“He needs more training.” Is all she says, eyes still shut. Shikaku snorts. Of course she would think that.

“Headache?” 

“From the depths of hell itself.” 

“Ah. Get some rest, I’ll keep watch. Wake you if anything happens.” 

“That’s your job.” He chuckles, wrapping his arm around her so his hand is resting at her crown. Shikaku plays with her hair instinctively.

“Not this time.”

…

Tsunade arrives at their camp a couple of days later with more medics and the new rotation,Tsuyuko almost cries. “You look like shit kid.” The sannin tells her without missing a single beat. Tsuyuko chokes back her emotions. Well at least her outside looked like her insides.

“I feel like shit.” Tsunade shakes her head and motions for the few medics she’s brought with her to follow. She gives Tsuyuko a look. Considering something briefly.

“Did you rearrange the supplies?” 

“Only once. It works better now.” The girl promises and Tsunade rolls her eyes. Sure it did. Tsunade would be the judge of that.

“Congrats kid you survived your first stint as a wartime medic. Go get some rest, your group leaves in a few days.” 

Tsuyuko cries in relief the moment she’s alone in her tent. She was finally going home, after almost ten months on the front lines she would be glad to be back in the village. Gods she couldn’t fucking wait.

She’d get to spend a birthday in the village for once.

…

Tsuyuko sleeps for over twelve hours once they're back in the village. When she wakes, she showers again, and then catalogs her current appearance. She traces the scar along her lower abdomen just above her hip with a frown, her one and only skirmish with an enemy shinobi had ended with her taking a life and scar to remind her what she’d done to stay alive. There was nothing she could do about it currently.

She grabs the only black article of clothing from her closet, a dress that reached just below her knees with long sleeves. Tsuyuko generally favored colorful neutrals, greens, burnt oranges, mustard yellow, blue or brown. Black was not a color she wore a lot. The color she reserved for mourning only. 

It was time she visited Himura. She could no longer push dealing with her grief aside. Not when she was finally home and could properly deal with her emotions now. Her orders for the front had come immediately, she hadn’t had the time before. But she had it now.

She owed it to herself, to Himura, to every single person she couldn't save to grieve properly so she could move on. 

Tsuyuko visits the stone alone. She leaves lilies on a grave. She prays for their souls, that they are able to find peace. She cries. Then she picks herself off the ground and goes forward. There was nothing she could do for the dead now. Nothing more that they could do for her. 

Tsuyuko has to move on. It is all she can do to keep going. If not however was she supposed to focus on those still living. How was she supposed to make sure they stayed that way?

There was nothing more she could do for the dead, but there was a lot she could do for her friends who were still alive.

**XOXOX**

**I had a lot of feelings after I finished the last chapter. I’m going to miss Himura…**

**Thank you for reading! I appreciate all the support and love so much:)**

**Also disclaimer: I own nothing but Tsuyuko. Also I haven’t been proof reading because I have a toddler who demands lots of attention and I haven’t been able to proofread before posting.**

**~LaRae**

**  
  
  
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	9. How She Loves

**How She Loves**

_ “A friend is someone who knows all about you and still loves you.” _

**~ Elbert Hubbard**

**.9**

Minato is not one hundred percent sure what he’s looking at. But it appeared his students were all getting along. He’d only had the other two for a month, they were still working on the whole team thing. The third war had been raging for almost a year, Tsuyuko had spent the first ten months of it on the border then only to come home to spend all her time at the hospital. It didn’t surprise him, per say, Tsuyuko knew how to run the hospital just as well if not better than Tsunade. Needless to say he hadn’t seen a lot of his little sister since her return to the village. So imagine his surprise to find her sitting with his team holding Kakashi in her lap as she tended to do despite the fact he was now seven and a genin. Of course Tsuyuko also frequently hugged her very scary teacher on a regular basis so he wasn’t surprised that she still insisted on cuddling Kakashi.

“I’m teacher Rin iryoninjustu.” She tells him when he finally walks up to them. Minato sits on the ground next to Obito.

Well that would explain the fish then.

“Does Rin want to learn iryoninjutsu?” He’s half asking Tsuyuko but more so asking his student. If Rin didn’t want to learn he could make Tsuyuko back down. But Rin nods her head with a smile.

“I do sensei!”

“I wouldn’t be teaching her if she didn’t want to learn Mi. Also do you know if sensei is in the village? I haven’t seen him since I got back.” And she’s worried, and teaching Rin iryoninjustu is a distraction from her worry. He pegs her with a look. 

“I’m not sure… Sorry Tsu.” She waves off his concerns then settles on petting Kakashi hair. Obito looks like he might snicker, but Tsuyuko raises a brow at him.

“Cuddles are good for the soul kid, if you laugh your next.” She tells Obito plainly before pinning Minato with a rather disappointed look.

“Minato you need to cuddle your students more. Obviously they are starved of affection.” Ah so she was disappointed. He shrugs his shoulders. She opens her mouth to say something but is interrupted by Nawaki appearing by shunshin. He’s leaning on a crutch like he’s almost forgotten about it, but it never leaves his side.

“Suyu most shinobi would disagree with that statement. Just because you're a weirdo, who loves hugs, doesn’t mean others will.” Nawaki teases and she grins at him. Kakashi takes that as his cue to move despite not wanting to.

There was something very warm and calming about Tsuyuko’s presence. He was sad to let go. She smiles and pats his head once more after she stands. 

“Tell your dad I said hello. Bye kids, see you at home Mi.” Minato waves her away and ruffles Obito’s hair. They watch as she leans into Nawaki’s good side and hugs him before the two disappear in a puff of smoke.

“So what’s with her, is she your girlfriend or something sensei, and I can’t believe you sat in her lap willingly or that she threatened to hug me.” Obito shoots off thoroughly confused by the events.

“Don’t be silly Obito-kun Minato-sensei is dating Uzumaki-san, remember we’ve met her. Kakashi-kun has known Raida-san for a long time, remember she used to pick him up from school.” Rin half heartedly scolds. Kakashi nods when Rin looks to him for confirmation.

“Tsu has been holding Kakashi like that since he was three, she’s been on the border and hasn’t seen him in almost a year. Honestly I was surprised she let him go so easily.” Minato adds Kakashi glares at him, the betrayal.

“It’s too much trouble to fight her over it.” 

“You can say that again Kakashi-kun, not even Orochimaru-sama fights her on it, I’ve seen her hug him several times.” All three kids get this look like they think he’s joking. He grins.

“You’re kidding! Orochimaru-sama is so scary strong, and she just hugs him?!” Obito exclaims, not believing it for a second.

“Sensei, is there a particular reason Raida-san is so affectionate. I thought that wasn’t usually typical behavior for kunoichi.” Minato eye smiles at Rin’s thoughtful question.

“Tsu loves very strongly.” Is what he tells his students about the behavior of his sister. What he doesn’t say is that for Tsuyuko any other way seems unnatural or wrong to her, she had a very hard time hiding her emotions. She loves so she must show it. She is affectionate because she trusts the rest of them not to take advantage of the kindness. She’s soft where most shinobi aren’t because she refuses to let go of her humanity.

Minato knew that for himself, and even most of their group relieved very heavily on how much she loved them. No one in their group ever refused a hug, or hair ruffle, an offered hand. She offered them a kind gift of platonic affection that they’d never been given before. Security and a sense that they were not alone. He smiled to himself, Minato really did love Tsuyuko. 

…

She gets to bother Sensei once before he’s off to the Ame border to rotate out with Jiraiya. Tsuyuko is not happy about it in the slightest. Nawaki is offended. “Am I not good enough for you Suyu.” He pretends to whine, she reaches over and tickles him. Orochimaru rolls his eyes at their never ending antics, trying not to think about the missing student and how he would have taken Nawaki’s side and teased Tsuyuko relentlessly. 

“I see you all the time Nawa, sensei is always busy and now he’s leaving me.” She pouts. Orochimaru shakes his head. So dramatic. Especially considering that he kept hearing those from her border rotation refer to her as a scary mini Tsunade. If only they knew.

“Behave. Tsuyuko no reorganizing the lab while I’m gone.” She looks even further vexed by his statement. Feigning hurt. How dare he accuse her of such, or deprive her of a distraction.

“You know the filing system was ass. I made it better.” Orochimaru pins her with a dry look.

“Stay out of the lab.” She crosses her arms and pouts. But quickly relents and then reaches for him and wraps her arms around his core. Tsuyuko’s hold is tight, and he can hear the tell tale side of her punching down tears.

“Be safe sensei.” He smirks at the top of her head, she had barely gotten any taller in her time away from the village. She’d probably always be the shortest. Orochimaru ruffles soft curls.

“Of course. Be good.” It sounds like a warning, but she lets him go and smiles. It contrasts with the tears brimming at the corner of her eyes strangely. But he expected nothing less.

“We’re always good sensei.” Nawaki grins walking up to stand next to Tsuyuko. He waves them goodbye and heads for the Ame border.

Quite frankly that was a lie if he’d ever heard one. Although he would be rather disappointed in them if they didn’t get into some trouble while he was gone. 

They were his students after all.

As long as the trouble didn’t involve his lab, he didn’t care.

…

Sakumo has come to a decision. He invites Tsuyuko over for tea while Kakashi is doing D-ranks with his genin team. She arrives right on the dot, apologizing about not arriving earlier but there had been a brief incident at the academy that she was asked to help with. 

“Incident?” She sighs.

“Unfortunately. I was already there doing health evals for the academy kids, and some kids got into a fight during recess time. It was a mess.” He hands her a cup of tea before settling across from her in his kitchen. She offers a nod of thanks.

“That sounds hectic. How long have you been doing the medical evals at the academy?” He wonders, Kakashi had never mentioned healthy evals and he usually mentioned anything he found out Tsuyuko was involved in. Sakumo watches as the girl gets a sort of forlorn expression on her face, she takes a sip of tea not even bothering to do a poison check.

Well at least she trusted him. 

“Only recently, they were previously done by a medic who died on the border.” He offers a somewhat apologetic smile. Sakumo had liked Itoka, they were a very competent ninja. It was a shame to hear what had happened.

“I am sorry to hear that then.” Tsuyuko was quiet, she took another sip of tea to save herself from having to answer. He watches her closely.

He couldn’t deny the similarities between his late wife and the girl. Tsuyuko was practically the spitting image of her mother. The only distive difference was the texture of her hair and the freckles that were dusted across Tsuyuko’s round cheek. Suyuri had looked more like a doll, unblemished complexion, with soft silky straight hair. It was their eyes though that really rung in their similarities, slightly larger than average, transfixing, a clear warning if you looked to close.

Suyuri never wanted her to know. But Kakashi deserved to have a line of family somewhere if anything happened to him. Sakumo had to do what was best for his child, just in case… He received orders soon.

“Tsuyuko do you know what happened to your parents?” He questions after a moment of thought. She looks up meeting his gaze, a bit of confusion lingering in her gaze.

“No, I was brought to the orphanage as a baby. As far as I know whomever they were they aren’t around anymore.” Sakumo nods, he carefully pulls out a photo from his jounin vest. He hands it over to Tsuyuko. She regards it carefully and curiously.

“This is your late wife? Suyuri-san correct?” He nods. She hands the picture back slowly, hands are slightly shaking.

So she could see it then.

“That is correct. You remind me a lot of her, she had a soft heart and free emotions. Some would say it caused her a lot of grief in life, but I believe that she wouldn’t have wanted it any other way.” Tsuyuko takes in the words he says, carefully turning them over in her head for a moment.

“You’ve compared me to her before. But for other reasons I believe.” Tsuyuko’s words are shaky here. Like she isn’t too certain of them as she speaks them. Sakumo nods.

“Yes I did. I’m pretty sure you're smart enough to figure out why I showed you that picture.” Tsuyuko sets her teacup down, just in case she decides to bolt, and draws in a breath.

“Based on your first question, I am assuming you are trying to tell me that Suyuri was my mother. Considering with the exception of the texture of our hair I look almost exactly like her it’s not a hard conclusion to jump to. She could have been my sister, but you wouldn’t be as tense and wouldn’t have insisted on this meeting being when kakashi-kun isn’t home. Because Suyuri is my mother, but you are not my father.” Tsuyuko speaks carefully, her words are chosen deliberately. The feeling of wanting to run and hide swell up inside her and she has the bat it down fiercely. Least she accidentally disappeared again.

Sakumo nods, he watches her closely. Tsuyuko stands carefully. She cast her eyes down and refused to make eye contact with him. He doesn’t know her as well as he should, so he’s not too sure how she’ll react. But if she is at all like her mother… there would be yelling.

“Excuse me Sakumo-san, thank you for the tea but I must go.”

Except Suyuri may have given birth to her but she was not her mother. Sakumo sits back in his chair and watches as she leaves. He’ll give her time. She will come back with questions when she’s ready.

**XOXOX**

**Wow.. I don’t know what to say about this chapter except it came together a little differently than I originally intended but I still love it all the same.**

**Thank you everyone who had liked/kudosed, review/commented, favorited/bookmarked! You all rock, thank you so much for the love and support!!**

**~LaRae**


	10. I Love You

**I Love You**

_ “In the depth of winter, I finally learned that within me there lay an invincible summer.” _

**~Albert Camus**

**.10**

Tsuyuko walked with no clear direction in mind after leaving the Hatake household. So she is not entirely surprised when she walks straight into another person, hard enough to knock herself over. What is surprising is that it is Shikaku who had just come out of the Nara family’s compound… which is on the other side of the village. Awesome.

“What the fuck?! Tsu what are you doing here? ….are you okay?” He hauls her up to her feet. She wasn’t exactly sure how to answer.

Was she okay? She didn’t know.. Sakumo had dropped some heavy news on her in what was probably a rather inappropriate way. She hadn’t been prepared for that, but at last she understood his looks now. They hadn’t been pitying, they’d been guilty.

“I don’t know..” Shikaku raised his brow at her, that was unusual.

“Mah, that sounds complicated. Want to talk about it?” She looks uncertain, it doesn’t sit well with him. Tsuyuko looked strange as anything other than happy. He watches as she daws in a breath, pulling her arms to wrap around her chest, as if he was trying to hold herself up.

Shikaku reaches for her, letting her lean into his chest for support, and he is unsurprised when she just starts crying. While he could see the signs of it coming, what irritates him is because he doesn’t know why.

A feeling akin to anger crawls up his arms. Someone had upset her. Shikaku wanted to strangle whoever it was. He never liked seeing her cry. It was a general consensus in their group really, Tsuyuko was smiles and sunshine, rays of warm light and hope. No one wanted to see her hurt. When they’d been on the border and she’d gotten attacked, seeing her covered in her own blood. It hadn’t sat well with him, the same feeling of anger crawled up his skin anytime he thought about it. Just like right now.

“Shikaku what have you done to this poor girl?!” His mother and her ever impeccable timing it seems. Tsuyuko sniffles into his chest and she goes to wipe her eyes, forcing a smile on her face that is not nearly convincing as she probably wanted it to be. 

“It’s just me Kaori-kaa-san. Shikaku hasn’t done anything wrong.” His mother comes over to inspect them both, she narrows her eyes at him as if she still didn’t believe it before grabbing Tsuyuko from him ushering her in for tea. Shikaku smirks at the Tsuyuko when she tries to protest. Yeah she wouldn't be winning that fight for sure.

Good luck to her. 

Although he still wanted to know what had made her so upset. But based on the loo his mother shot him if he followed she’d just nag him. Mah that was a drag. Shikaku stuck to his original plan to go meet up with his team. Maybe if he was lucky his mother would figure out what was going on with Tsuyuko and he could get her to tell him what was wrong. 

…

Nara Kaori is an old woman, in her late sixties. Shikaku was not her first born but he was the only living child she had now. War had taken them from her, war had not been kind to the Nara family. When Shikaku started academy they had still been recovering from the loss of his brother, he had been a surly kid for sure because of it. 

That all changed suddenly when Tsuyuko and the Namikaze boy came into his life. The girl was something else, she was smart in ways that shouldn’t have been possible for a child. But she was tiny and emotional, Kaori often wondered what kind of shinobi the girl would become. An apparently fierce medic was the answer to that question, although it did not change the way in which the girl controlled her emotions.

She loved freely and without reverence. Kaori was grateful for the healing the girl had offered her son because of this despite the fact she wished Tsuyuko could learn to control her emotions if only for her own sake. 

Kaori sets a cup of tea in front of the preteen with a raised brow. “What is eating at you Tsuyuko-chan?” Renowned medc or not Shiai still considered the girl to be a child. Her adopted child almost. Tsuyuko had filled a hole created by the previous wars. Kaori loved this girl more than she should have, but she wasn’t the only one.

She wondered when Shikaku would get his nerves together and ask Tsuyuko out or something

“Sakumo-san told me something that was very hard to hear and I cannot be sure how to process the information.” Tsuyuko tells her quietly,eyes cast down.

Kaori sighed, slightly angered by that. Sakumo shouldn’t have said anything. But she understands why he did. “He told you about your mother then…” There is a sense of knowing in her tone that causes Tsuyuko to look up.

“How?” Is all she can manage, Shikaku’s mother offers her a tired smile.

“Suyuri used to be on a team with Shikaku’s late older sister. She was a kind girl, a lot like you really. But Suyuri was always quick to action, stubborn, she made choices without a lot of thought. I knew she was pregnant when she left on that mission and I knew she lied when she claimed she’d found an orphan. But at the same time I understood her reasoning, she just wanted to give her child their best chance so I never said anything about it. I am surprised that Sakumo did, Suyuri never wanted you to know. You became a fine young woman and damn good shinobi without her.” Tsuyuko listens with tempeditio across her face, she takes the words from the Nara matron and mulls over them carefully.

“Thank Kaori-kaa-san.” 

“You are very welcome Tsuyuko-chan. I can yell at Sakumo-kun if need be.” That got the girl to smile, laugh even, it made Kaori’s heart feel light. Tsuyuko waves off the offer.

“No thank you, I am glad that Sakumo-san told me the truth. Even if it hurts me.” Tsuyuko wondered what this was going to do to the relationship she had with Kakashi.

She loved that kid more than she should have, he was one of her precious people now. Tsuyuko would do everything in her power to make sure he was happy. He hoped he wouldn’t be upset with her. Hoped he wouldn’t be upset with his father for keeping the secret.

“I am not surprised you feel that way. You are a good girl Tsuyuko-chan, please never lose your heart” Kaori tells her gently before standing from the table. 

“Perhaps you should go and hunt down my lazy son now, he’s probably concerned since you were crying on him again.” There is mirth in the olds woman's tone, and a thrown wink that makes the girl's nose turn pink. Kaor chuckles to herself.

Well. It seemed her son wasn’t the only one with a crush. The old Nara woman approved. Tsuyuko would make an excellent daughter-in-law one day. That is once those two figured out they liked each other.

“He’s going to lecture me about composure again.. I can just feel it.” Tsuyuko whines as she goes stand, bowing her head respectful with a quick thank you for tea and then she’s dashing out the door. Happier than she was before.

…

_‘_ _Orochimaru-sensei,_

_ Sakuma-san has informed me that his late wife was my mother, and that the whole disappearing act was apparently a skill she had developed during her life. He has given me her old notes in regards to the technique. I am reluctant to try it while you are out of the village. Perhaps we can test a few theories when you get back… if you want to. I want to understand how this aspect of my chakra works.. But only if you want to help me. _

_ Nawaki sends his regards, but refuses to write because he is claiming bad hand writing or something. Regardless he wants you to know that we are still being ‘good’. Also he has a boyfriend now, he’s a nice guy, very civilian, but I think you'd like him too. _

_ We miss you a lot, hope that you are staying safe.  _

_ I’m most likely getting sent to one of the border posts soon, but I am not certain which. I will be shipping out with Minato this time, as well as the others from before. The sandaime has deemed Minato’s use of fuinjutsu too useful to waste right now. _

_ Lots of Love, _

_Tsuyuko_ _‘_

Orochimaru chuckles foundly at the letter in his hand. Jiraiya who had not yet left the Ame border post frowned from his spot reading over Orochimaru’s shoulder.

“Damn, I had hoped the old man would prolong deploying Minato-kun.” Orochimaru rolls his eyes. While he understood the sentiment they were at war and Minato was a fully capable shinobi.

“Yes it is rather unfortunate, I am surprised to hear that Tsuyko is getting deployed again so soon.” He settles on, Jiraiya shakes his head.

“She’s become as scary as a medic as Tsunade-hime is from the reports I ‘ve heard. I’m surprised the old let her stay as long as he did. We need good medics right now more than anything. These bastards fight dirty.” Orochimaru pressed his lips into a tight line. He says nothing more on the matter folding the letter up and tucking into the safety of his weapons pouch.

…

Tsuyuko kisses Kakashi’s forehead and hugs him close. Sakumo regarded her with a kind smile, and an affectionate head pat. She’d come to tell them goodbye before she headed off to the fronts again.

“Try to be nice to your teammates while I’m gone, and be nice to Nawa. Don’t let the crutch fool you though Nawa is stronger than he let on. If Rin has any medical questions she can ask for Yurako at the hospital he’ll be able to help her, I trained him so he’s competent. I promise I’m going to do my best to keep your sensei breathing.” She sounds so serious. It’s unlike her, but he nods.

“Of course Yuko-nee.” She smiles, wrapping her arms around her half brother one more time. Tsuyuko ruffles his hair.

“I love you Kakashi-kun.” He turns to look away from her and she just smiles.

“Be safe Tsuyuko.” 

She makes no such promises.

They’ll leave in smaller groups than they returned in. Six man squads or smaller. Tsuyuko meets her boys at the gate. Minato gives her a small wave and she smiles at him but turns her attention to the only member of her group who she only recently became associated with. “Didn’t your wife just give birth?” 

“A few months ago but yes.” He answers, she frowns. That sucks.

“Well I guess I need to make sure you don't die then eh Fugaku-san.” He deadpanned at her.

“I don’t plan to require your less than gentle touch this time Tsuyuko-san.” She laughed, eyed the other three.

“Yes of course Fugaku-san, I know who’s going to give me the real trouble, these three and my ridiculous brother over there.” Minato makes a noise of protest which she throws him a teasing smile for.

“I love you but you're reckless. Don’t even deny it.”

“And you are ridiculous so you have no room to talk Tsu, come on let’s get going while there's still daylight.” Shikaku steps in having no desire to keep standing here.

The sooner they got to the front, the sooner they could come home.

**XOXOX**

**Woohoo another chapter down. Probably gonna be another time skip soon btw. SO be looking out for that.**

**Age update**

**Tsuyuko: 13**

**Minato: 15**

**Kakashi: 7ish**

**Obito and Rin: 8-9ish**

**Ino/Shika/Cho: 16ish**

**Kushina: 15**

**Mikoto: 16**

**Fugaku: 18**

**Newaki:16ish**

**Hope that helps if there is any confusion over age.**

**Thank you all for your continued support!**

**Love you all bunches!**

**~LaRae**

  
  
  
  



	11. Healing Old Wounds

**Healing Old Wounds**

_ “The practice of forgiveness is our most important contribution to the healing of the world.” _

**~ Marianne Williamson**

**.11**

She crashes into him. He of course has been expecting it. Tsuyuko cared very little for the stern reputation he tried hard to uphold. Orochimaru knew as soon as her second letter arrived letting him it was the Ame border they were being sent to that she as going to attack him once she saw him 

Attack is a strong word, but she had a strong grasp and she wasn’t letting go. Orochimaru will never admit that he actually had missed her silly hugs.

“Did you touch my lab?” 

“I told you I wouldn’t.”

They both ignore the snicker behind them. That comes mostly from Jiraiya. He does not miss the rude gesture she makes at his teammate, but it is mostly given away by the snort that comes from Jiraiya's own student. 

“Minato, control your sister.” Jiraiya says, tone offended and jovial all at the same time. Minato snorted again.

“Funny that you think I can be controlled, old man.” Tsuyuko teases letting go of her sensei to bound over to Jiraiya and give him a side hug. He rolls his eyes pats her head and then shoves her off of him.

“Don’t you have a medic tent to terrorize brat.” She grins mischievously and nods before bounding away. That’s right she had to go figure out what she was working with and who.

Orochimaru lets out a pained sigh. “At least the rest of you know how to behave. Come let’s get you situation and assigned to rotations. Jiraiya you should probably make sure Tsuyuko doesn’t scare the Ame medic.”

Jiraiya groaned, he had forgotten about that. He nodded before heading in the direction of the medic tent.

“Ame medic?” Minato questions, mostly because he wondered if it was the other students of Jiraiya. Orochimaru looked at him and just sighed. He was far too old to be dealing with this nonsense.

“Yes, they arrived the day before yesterday with a small group of Ame shinobi. We have an alliance with their new leadership. But we both know how territorial Tsuyuko can be in the tent.” Minato nodded.

“That’s a nice way to say she’s bosy as fuck.” Shikaku comments dryly, Inoichi elbows him in the side. Fugaku snickers.

Exasperation is the only proper emotion Orochimaru can feel at that. “Thank you for your astute deduction Nara-kun. Come there is work to be done.” 

…

Tsuyuko took one look at the blue haired woman and decided that they were going to be best friends. “So you have idiots too.” Which warrants a smile. She counts it as a win.

“I assume you are the Konoha medic Jiraiya-sama has mentioned.” She speaks her words are soft, her voice melodic, it’s very soothing. Tsuyuko smiles.

“Depends on what he’s been saying. Good things I would hope, but probably more snarky than anything I bet.” Konan gives the girl a thoughtful look.

“He said that you healed a complex spinal injury in the midst of battle, that because of this your teammate survived and they can even walk.” Tsuyuko bites her lip. Understanding draws. 

Nagato.

Konan wanted her to try to heal Nagato. Jiraiya had told her of the injuries he sustained more than a year ago. Tsuyuko knew more now, Nawaki was only as mobile as he was because the extensive healing he received from her over that last several years. He could likely recover all the damage from his tissue and nerves,but because of the time passed now he would probably always rely on his crutch. But most of what she had done for Nawaki she had been able to do over an extended period of time.

Time is the healer of all wounds. Eventually.

“How complex of an injury are we talking about? Where on the spine are the damages? How recent? I want to be able to help you but I am going to need a comprehensive medical background on the patient first.” 

“What if you have the patient in front of you? Will that work Tsuyuko-chan.” Tsuyuko snapped her head around to look at Jiraiya as he entered the medic tent, pushing a red head in a wheelchair into the tent. Konan had sought her out after she arrived in the tent. Tsuyuko supposed the girl had been waiting for her.

She understood the longing to protect one's teammates.

“May I?” She asks and she hopes the meaning of her words are understood. 

“Certainly.”

Tsuyuko get’s straight to it, then evaluates the Uzumaki male’s condition. She starts with his toes. His fingers twitch. Well then. Tsuyuko stands, next she asks Jiraiya to sit Nagato on the cot. They’re lucky no one else is in need of medical attention.

No one talks as Tsuyuko works, a single curl falls in her eyes which she blows away with a slight huff on annoyance. She needed a fucking haircut again, her hair was gettign to long, it was in the way. She’d meant to while in the village but it slipped her mind, now she had a mane to deal with while on the battlefield. Rookie mistake. She works through the annoyance she feels about her hair and she runs two fingers down the length of Nagato’s spine.

Unlike Nawaki who’s spine now had knots and inflammation at random points, which caused his residual pain and weakness Nagato’s spine felt normal. The temperature going off of it wasn’t a cause for concern either. Hmm. “Nagato-san how does it feel when I press here.” This was beginning to look more like a coil problem and less like an actual spinal problem.

Coils were not her strong point. Most of the aspects of chakra weren’t, Tsuyuko was more knowledgeable about traditional medicine. Sure she was still a good medic and she could heal with iryoninjustu like it was no one's business. Tsunade had been her teacher, she was not going to disgrace the women by having a preference.

The fact remained she could not see coils and had a hard time visualizing them some times.

“It stings, but only mildly. Like a pinching sensation.” He tells her after a moment. She removes her hand.

He is feeling all the way down. It’s not spinal. “Jiraiya-sama is there a Hyuga in this camp?”

“You think it's coils and not spinal?” He questions. Tsuyuko is not surprised that he catches on so quickly. Tsunade was his teammate, and he’d had injuries of a similar sort before.

“Possibly. Nagato-san still has feelings in his toes. And can feel when I touch around the impact area. But I can’t see his coils. I don’t have magic eyes, and Nagato cannot look at his own coils with accuracy.” She responses, impatience lingering in her tone. Tsuyuko doesn’t want to delay any longer.She could heal Nagato, but she needed to know how extensive the damage was.

“One of Himura’s brothers in the camp. Would you like me to go get him?” Jiraiya sounds almost reluctant to tell her that. Tsuyuko rubs a hand over her face. Not the best news, but it made sense.

Fuck they had a lot of clan heirs in this camp, that was probably not a smart idea.

“Go get him. I need confirmation before I start healing anything.” Jiraiya nods and leaves the tent quickly.

Nagato regards her curiously as she sits in front of him, taking his hand slowly and carefully running a small brush over his palm. It tickles. 

“I believe your coils have tenses up or ruptured. Your spine and nerves seem to be in alright condition, no noticeable damage.” She explains with closed eyes as she goes to repeat the motion from his left hand to his right. The same tickling sensation occurs.

“Then why can’t he walk?” Konon asks before he can. Nagato watches her chakra move under her skin, it’s mostly spiritual and it is more than he had expected. The leaf medic doesn’t open her eyes.

“I believe you have ruptured your coils instead. In extreme cases ruptured coils can be the cause of paralyzes and even unbearable pain. I treated a similar case for a man who opened all of his gates at once, he unfortunately cannot walk now as his damage was much more extensive than I believe yours to be. But thankfully his pain is manageable and almost non existent at this point.” She explains with great care, opening her eyes to look at him after a moment.

“I believe that you will be able to fully recover once I am able to know the extent of what needs to be healed. Unlike my previous patient you are an Uzumaki and your clan has an innate way to heal itself, plus because of your massive chakra reserves your coils although ruptured are still being used.” The tent flap opens and in steps what Nagato assumes is a Hyuga. Tsuyuko noticeably doesn’t look at him.

“Hizashi-san do you mind taking a look at my patient here. Specifically the coils around the lower spine and sciatica nerve.” He gives a silent nod and steps all the way into the tent.

“There are ruptures around the seventh gate or lower spine and in the sciatica nerve region.” Tsuyuko nods, biting her lip as she frowned.

“Estimation of how many? How severe does the damage look?” Nagato watches the calculative look the Hyuga gives him for a moment.

“Twenty ruptures between the seventh gate and the end of the sciatica nerve ending. Damage is severe.” 

“Thank you Hizashi-san.” The man nods before leaving. Now the Tsuyuko knew where the damage was, she could operate.

“Alright Nagato-san, this is going to be painful but when I’m done you should be able to walk. I want to get started right away, if that is alright with you. Konan-san I am going to have to ask you to leave the tent for this bit.” Konan goes to protest but Tsuyuko shuts her down quickly.

“What I am going to have to do to repair the damage is going to be excruciating for Nagato-san to experience and I don’t need you fight senses trying to activate while I am operating on your teammate. I am not your enemy but I am going to have to hurt your teammate in order to heal him. I’m asking you to leave for my own personal safety, and the privacy of Nagato-san. I am sure that he’d rather not have you witness his pain any longer.”

“That is fine Tsuyuko-sensei, we can begin right away. Konon go inform Yahiko of what’s happening.” Konan sighs but nods her head, she cast one last glance at them before exiting the tent.

“Lay down Nagato-san, Obari-chan this will probably take a few hours. Can you hold down the tent?” The other medic in the tent gives a nod.

“I will be able to handle anything that comes in, are you going to need any assistance though? Coil repair is extensive work.” Obari asks, walking over to help Nagato lay back while Tsuyuko goes to collect a few supplies.

“Yes I am aware, no it is better if only one set of forieng chakra invades Nagato-san’s coils. Just make sure that once I’m finished there is some water and chakra pills nearby, also some pain killers for Nagato-san.” 

“As you wish Tsuyuko-sensei.” 

“Alright Nagato-san lets begin.”

…

Konan is worried, she had not seen either Nagato or the medic who’d promised to heal him in hours. Jiraiya assures both her and Yahiko that Tsuyuko is an excellent medic and very trustworthy. His other student briefly introduced himself to them and also confirms these statements. But yet she is still worried.

It is at that moment the medic emerges from the tent looking ten times less chipper than she was when she entered. But Kanon has a feeling it is due to fatigue and not loss. She scans the area and then her eyes land on their group. Quickly she makes her way over.

“Nagato-san is doing well, I was able to repair most of the damage, some will take more time to heal by itself since the injuries were left untreated for so long. He is resting currently but is in stable condition. I need to go check in with the returning patrol squad to make sure they are okay. Obari-san will be able to answer any questions you have, I will be back to check in with him later. When he wakes up he should be able to stand without any pain or numbness.” Then she is off before they can say anything yelling at two of the shinobi who had come in with her earlier that day. They seemed to already have some scruffs. It appeared to annoy her to no end.

Konan let out a relieved breath she hadn’t realized she’d been holding.

Finally some good news.

**XOXOX**

**Ame border shenanigans and finally Tsuyuko meets the Ame orphans. I hope you all like this chapter!**

**Thank you for reading! Thank you for all the love and support :)**

**~LaRae**


	12. A Minor Incovenience

**A Minor Inconvenience**

_ “I do not fear death. I had been dead for billions and billions of years before I was born, and had not suffered the slightest inconvenience from it.” _

**~Mark Twain**

**.12**

Minato is giving her a concerned look.. Or at least she thinks he, she’s pretty sure he’s boring a hole in her back with how hard he’s staring. Maybe that’s the blood loss talking. Why was she losing blood again… Oh yeah that’s right they had been scooting for a few herbs in the surrounding forest when they’d been attacked by some wayward Kusa nins. She’d closed the wound but that didn’t replace the blood she’d lost. No she needed blood replenishing pills for which they were out of, hence the herbs.

She needed the herbs to make more pills. 

Her head really hurt. There was also some spinning, she must have hit her head too. Gods Nawaki was going to kill her. Although she hadn’t made any promises so he’d have to get over it. 

“How the fuck did this happen?! You aren’t supposed to be seeing combat.” Comes a very elegant retort from what appears to be a rather disgruntled Shikaku. Tsuyuko unfortunately doesn’t appreciate the yelling due to the ringing in her head.

But at least they’d made it back to camp. 

“Shhh Kaku, too loud.” She mumbles clutching at the side of her head. Fuck her head hurt.

“We were ambushed by some Kusa shinobi, they’re taken care of now but Tsuyuko sustained an injury and lost a lot of blood. I think she may also have a concussion.” Astute deduction. Concussion sounds about right to her. She definitely had a concussion.

“I just need to rest for a minute then I’ll be fine, it was a minor flesh wound.” But her brian is not functioning the way it should, she feels a bit loopy. Has to be the blood loss. 

It’s fine. 

“She looks like she’s about to pass out.” Cool she felt like she was too. Oh look black spots in her vision obscure the view she has on Shikaku’s face. How timely. The ground under her seemed to swallow her up, she reached forward as her feet buckled. 

“I don’t feel too good….”

She fell.

…

Shikaku wanted to hit someone. Specifically Minato, even though it was his fault. But still. He did not like seeing the auburn haired girl hurt. Tsuyuko was resting now, she’d be fine, but she was not in a good state when she’d returned back to camp. Neither was Minato, he had half treated injuries as well. Which was mostly why Shikaku hadn’t smacked him yet. 

Obari-san, the other medic, a girl in the same age group as them walks over to where he and the other were. She looks like she takes her job very seriously, takes herself very seriously, which Tsuyuko never had. “Tsuyuko-sensei’s injuries are worse than previously believed, she is bleeding internally. Namikaze-san tells me that it was a hell of a fight, that she had been thrown into the side of a ravine where she had been scavenging for herbs. We have patched the internal injuries as best that we can but only time will tell.” Obari is straight to the point. Which he appreciated.

He did not particularly like the news that they’d just been given. Inoichi takes a deep breath and Choza sets down his plate. Solemn looks take over all of their faces he’s sure. Orochimaru had been switched out to another border post the week previously as had Jiraiya and a few of the Ame shinobi. Now that the red headed teen could walk thanks to Tsuyuko, Ame needed it’s leaders back so they could work the Iwa border. This border post didn’t see a lot of action for the most part, just random squads here and there, it was mostly a redirection post for the incoming aid from Suna.

Their allies were few right now. Ame, Suna, and the small forces from Rivers. Kiri was in the midst of its own civil war so no one had seen a hair tail of them in months. A fact many in the Lead were very thankful for. Kiri’s level of violence was quite frankly not needed right now.

“How is Minato?” Choza questions. Obari offers no change of disposition.

“Namikaze-san is faring better, his injuries while serious are not as severe. He’ll be up and about in no time. Tsuyuko-sensei I assumed focused more on him than she did herself following their battle.” Which sounded a lot like her. Shikaku shook his head.

So typical.

“Thank you for letting us know Obari-san. Will we be able to visit our teammates soon?” Inoichi speaks when Shikaku cannot find the words. The woman frowns at them but nods.

“When Namikaze-san wakes up you'll be able to see him.”

“And Tsuyuko.” Shikaku’s mouth feels dry. The words don’t settle well with him. The air is tense. His heart races anxiously inside his chest.

Obari sighs deeply.

“Tsuyuko-sensei’s injuries require more healing than any of us can provide. I have already sent word to the border post Tsunade-sama is stationed at, for the moment we are doing our best just to keep her stable.”

“Is the internal damage that bad?” 

“Yes.”

That was not what any of them wanted to hear. Not in the slightest.

…

_ ‘ Tsunade-sama, _

_ We request your aid urgently. Medic Raida Tsuyuko has sustained serious injuries that we are unable to heal fully. There is internal bleeding that we cannot get to stop all the way. We are doing our best to keep her stable. _

_ Please use the Sparrow to reverse summon yourself to use. Raida is at risk for going septic, there isn't enough time. _

_ Obari Kae’ _

The urgent message comes via the Obari clans summons, a sparrow who cannot speak, Tsunade grits her teeth. Pushing the worry down that builds in her heart. “Tsunade-sama are you alright, all the color has drained from your face.” She looks up when Dan’s concerned voice reaches her ears.

“I’m being summoned to the Ame border.” She tells him quickly, gathering her things as fast as she can. His brow furs together.

“I thought Tsuyuko-san was at the Ame border.” Tsunade has to take a deep breath. Her nerves are shot. She forces her hands to stop shaking.

“Tsuyuko has sustained serious injuries.” It takes her a moment to get the words out. Dan draws in a breath, he is at loss.

He liked that kid. Regardless if she didn’t seem to like him. Tsunade had told him the reason though, the kid was a medical genius and he had treated her like a child. ‘ _ She has talent that rivals my own, one day she’ll surpass me based on pure intellect alone’ _ Dan remembers the conversation like it had happened yesterday. He’d been an ass and had never apologized for it. He may not get to now words he chooses not to voice.

“How serious?” Because he also knew that if something happened to that kid it would devastate Tsunade. He didn’t want to see that happen.

“She’s bleeding internally and they cannot localize where it’s coming from. I need to go now before she turns septic. Can you hold down the front here?” She asks again, urgency in her voice, Dan nods.

“Go, I got it. We have enough medics here anyway. I know the Ame border has less, they need you. She needs you.” Tsunade nods, turning to look at the sparrow who was waiting patiently for her by the table.

“Take me to Tsuyuko.” 

…

Maybe she was dead. That would explain why she couldn’t wake up. She wanted to wake up, there was too much shit to do to be sleeping. Maybe she had died...again.. Fuck that would suck. Would she get reincarnated again.. Tsuyuko didn’t want to think about that. She shut that train of thought down quickly.

She didn’t want to be dead. Gods she hoped she wasn’t dead.

“That’s good to hear.” A voice speaks into her subconscious. Or at least she thinks it is, Inoichi would know more than she would about this aspect of the brain.

“I know you.” She decided after a moment. The other voice comes into view. Yes Tsuyuko did know this person. Although she hadn’t remembered what they looked like before.

“I would hope so… since I died so you could live.” It was her from before, before she became Tsuyuko.

“Wonderful deduction sherlock, would you like a cookie.” Tsuyuko smirked at the other. AT least her humor has remained mostly the same. Sarcasm was a hard trait to let go of it seemed.

“No thanks. I don’t think there is anything more you can give to me now.” The other smiled softly. A pleased expression upon their face.

“Not at all.” Tsuyuko snorts at the short response. She almost had expected as much. 

“Then why are you here, this is overkill. Feels very mary-sue to me.” The other chuckles, shaking their head. 

“Oh I didn’t come here, you did. But I think it’s time you go back. Bye bye.” The other vanishes from view.Tsuyuko is alone. A flash of light then followed by utter darkness.

Senju Tsunade arrives at the Ame border. The sky weeps. She makes her way to the medic tent as fast as she can. No one questions her sudden arrival, they know why she’s here. Inside the tent lies a much loved medic hooked up to the border's only mobile heart monitor. Tsunade steps into the tent, rhythmic beeping suddenly screeches to a halt. An alarm goes off.

Tsuyuko flatlines.

**XOXOX**

**So I’m just going to leave this here for now…**

**Thanks for reading! Thank you for all the support:)**

**~LaRae**

  
  
  
  
  
  



	13. Morning Light

**Mornings Light**

_ “If you're reading this... _

_ Congratulations, you're alive. _

_ If that's not something to smile about, _

_ then I don't know what is.” _

**~Chad Sugg,**

**.13**

The sun is shining on her face. She knows this because her cheeks feel warm, she can see light despite her eyes being closed. Something heavy is laying on her chest. By the weight of it she assumes it's a child. 

She tries to lift her arm, but it refuses to listen. Interesting. Slowly she opens her eyes, the sunlight streaming in from the window blinds her. It takes a few seconds for her eyes to adjust, but the first thing she sees is a fluff of silver hair.

_ Kakashi. _

Why was Kakashi on the front line? It is at this moment that Tsuyuko decides she needs to re-examine her surroundings. Solid white walls, the smell of disinfectant. She knows where she is after a moment. No wonder Kakashi was here. This is the hospital in Konoha. How the hell had she gotten here!?

She watches the rise and fall of Kakashi’s back while contemplating her current disposition. The last thing she remembered was passing out. Blood loss. She had a concussion. Minato and her had been attacked while out scavenging.. She was thrown into a ravine.. She thinks the details are fuzzy.

But none of them told her how she ended up in the hospital… Which she would very much like to know. 

The door opens, in steps the most disgruntled version of Tsunade she had ever seen followed by Sakumo. Tsunade looks like she is about to tell him off for something but catches sight of Tsuyuko staring.

“Welcome back to the land of the living brat.” Tsuyuko takes a moment to ponder that statement.

“I died?” Unlike the first time she uttered those words with such conviction and certainty she sounds stupefied here. Tsunade nods gravely.

“You flatlined, I was able to restart your heart but it became apparent that you needed a hospital and not the medic tent. Your spleen ruptured and you were bleeding internally. I was told you had been thrown into a ravine. We set you up for transport immediately. Thank kami for space time bullshit.” Tsunade picks up her medical chart as Sakumo moves Kakashi off of her, he doesn’t wake up. Tsuyuko realizes the reason she couldn’t move her arm was because her favorite little brother had been laying on it. Awesome. She tries to sit up and is immediately scowled at.

“Don’t move, you had surgery. I removed your spleen.” Which was not ideal but she could live without a spleen, the liver would take over most of the spleens duties.

But…

“You're going to be more susceptible to getting sick.” Tsuyuko frowned, that was not ideal for a medic. Tsunade must have sensed her train of thought and she shook her head.

“Luckily for you kid I’ve been working on immune boosters for you. Once you're healed and have gone through your pt you’ll be back to terrorizing the hospital in no time.” Aww that was so sweet. Tsuyuko loved Tsunade so much. But she notices the emphasis the older woman makes.

“Not the fronts though.” Tsunade shakes her head.

“Unfortunately not brat, not until I know how well the immune supplements work. In the village if anything arises you’ll have easier access for treatment.” Tsuyuko sighs sadly that made sense.

“How is Minato?” 

“Blondie gets to live to see another day. Lucky him. Now rest up. Hatake you better not stay long she needs to rest.” Tsunade walked left without another word. Tsuyuko looked at Sakumo.

“Can you help me sit up now that she’s gone?” He smirked but complied after setting Kakashi down on the small waiting couch. The kid must have been out like a rock because he didn’t move.

Sakumo adjusts the bed a bit for her and Tsuyuko leans back into the pillows. Her core is sore but it’s not too bad. “How long have I been out?” She asks first since she’d forgotten to ask Tsunade.

“A couple days nothing major, your friends are still on the border and Orochimaru has been sent to the Kumo front. Kakashi wanted to be here when you woke up.” Tsuyuko is grateful for that piece of information. 

“Cool. They’re going to nag me when they get back I can just feel it. Has Nawaki been by?” Sakumo nods.

“He was by earlier, he was not pleased by your current state.”

“Sweet, I’m looking forward to the lecture he’s going to give with great pleasure.” Sakumo smirks. Tsuyuko wants to laugh but she has a feeling it’s going to hurt.

“I’m going to take Kakashi home so you can get some rest, I’ll bring him by tomorrow so he can actually see you. I’m glad you didn’t die kid.” He picks up his son, pats his step daughters arm before leaving the room.

“Yeah, me too… me too..”

…

Tsuyuko hates the wheelchair Tsunade is making her use with a deadly passion. It sucks, she hates it. What she hates even more is the food the nurse tries to get her to eat. “Raida-sensei you know why you have to eat this.” The nurse tries and Tsuyuko almost wants to glare at her.

But it’s not her fault the hospital food was bland and tasteless. She took the tray with trepidation. “Thanks… I hate it.” Tsuyuko set it aside, besides she didn’t currently have any appetite as it stood. 

“Raida-sensei…” The nurse tries and Tsuyuko waves her off.

“I’ll eat it eventually, Misuzu-san, just leave it for now.” There is a sigh, one last attempt to give an order to eat and then the woman leaves. Tsuyuko looks at the tray of food.

Yeah she’s not going to eat that. 

“How about some Gyoza and Yakitori.” The window of her room is slightly open sitting on the ledge with his crutch is Nawaki who grins at her and raises a bag of take out. Tsuyuko smiles at him.

“That sounds wonderful.” He slides into the room fully feet and lands silently on the floor not even his crutch makes a sound, walks over to bed, moves the tray of food to another table and sits next to her setting up his offerings.

“I’m still irritated at you for getting so severely injured. A ravine.. Just ridiculous that you of all people would be bested by a fucking ravine.” She does laugh now, the pain has subsided in the few days since she woke up.

“Technically it was an Iwa shinobi who bested me. The ravine just happened to be there.” Nawaki pins her with a dirty look.

“Tsuyuko.” She returns the look full on.

“Ooh a full name I’m so scared. It’s not my fault Nawaki.” Shit happens, is a silent afterthought.

“I asked you not to go where I couldn’t follow.” Tsuyuko reaches out for his hand, she squeezes it tight.

“I am still here Nawa, I won’t make any promises but as long as I am a shinobi and a medic I will always do my best to come back. But I will not promise you that I won’t die because that is not fair to either of us. Now tell me how everything has been? How is Tenzin-kun?” Distract me… She asks silently. Nawaki's smile is sad but he understands.

“Why didn't you tell me that Namikaze’s kids were so badly off with each other? They’re complete menaces.” Nawaki whines before launching into what they’d been up to during the two months she’d been on the border. He tells her about the date he and Tenzin went on a couple weeks ago, about how great a cook his partner is, Nawaki tells her about anything and everything. Tsuyuko is extremely grateful.

…

Tsuyuko gets released after another week and can go home. She almost is sad. The idea of returning to her apartment when she had left Minato at the border makes her feel guilty. Sakumo gives a kindly offer of the Hatake compound but she declines. Even though she appreciated his kindness, she wanted to be alone.

Which was a nice sentiment but didn’t seem like it was going to happen any time soon. However Tsuyuko cannot say that she's mad about the impromptu visitor she receives that afternoon.

While they weren’t the closest of friends Tsuyuko did love Uzumaki Kushina dearly for the role she played in Minato’s life. Her brother loves that beautiful redhead in the cutest of fashions. It was cute, Tsuyuko was living vicariously through it.

“Well I’m glad you didn’t die.” Kushina finally says after a long moment of silence, Tsuyuko had made them tea. She grins at the other girl who winces at the harshness of her own words after she has spoken them. They don’t bother Tsuyuko though.

“Me too, me too. How is Mikoto and the baby?” That changes the mood and Kushina launches into telling Tsuyuko all about tiny little Itachi. He’s the cutest thing ever, so smart, absolutely adorable. Kushina loves him dearly.

…

It is another month before the others return from the borders, rotations shorter to reduce serious injuries. Downtime the same before sending them back out. Tsuyuko is enjoying a nice morning hauled up in her apartment as Tsunade had yet to clear her for anything other than light physical activity and her immunity was still testy so she’d barely left the apartment save for when she’d go visit Kakashi or when Nawaki would come drag her to dinner at his place.

He pops in briefly to let her know that the others are back before having to wrangle Mianto’s brats as he calls them for a mission. Tsuyuko doesn't pity him that Minato's brats needed to get their teamwork sorted out and soon. So she stays in reading a book, it’s a rough draft of something Jiraiya was writing, she knows that because she stole it from his apartment when she read all of the books she kept at her. She’d return it with editorial notes once she was finished to make up for stealing it in the first place.

That was polite right.

What was not polite was the staring. Which she was ignoring. If Minato had something to say than he better just fucking say it. If it’s an apology she’s going to slug him.

“I’m so-” An apology, predictable. She throws the book at him. He catches it. He frowns and she ignores his sad expression. Because she did not want to deal with that at all.

“Don’t you fucking dare. It is not your fault, so you have nothing to apologize for. Now come here and hug me. I missed you.” He nods, sets the book on the coffee table, he sits next to her on the couch and very delicately hugs her. Tsuyuko holds him tight as soon as he is in her grasp.

“I missed you too.”

Much later the others from their group stop by to check up on her. She is glad to see all of them in one piece. Even Fugaku stops by to show that he in fact did not require her services, and then wishes her a speedy recovery before leaving. The others stay much longer, Kushina arrives at some point with food. Nawaki shows up with Tenzin who has never met any of them but is welcomed with open arms. 

“Your kids are brats.” Nawaki complains once giving Minato the dirtiest of looks before going about beating the others at some card game he’d brought.

It is a very loud occasion and for once Tsuyuko is extremely grateful for all the noise.

She loves her friends so much.

**XOXOX**

**And she lives! Also I am not a medical professional so I fact checked my medical bullshit as much as I could. You can live without a spleen, and it will decrease your immunity to certain things. So yeah..**

**Anyway I hope you guys liked this chapter! Thank you all for the love and support :)**

**~LaRae**

  
  
  



	14. Truth Sets Us Free

**Truth Sets Us Free**

“Be thankful for everything that happens in your life; it’s all an experience.”

**~ Roy T. Bennett**

**.14**

It is about a year after the incident in which she lost her spleen(poor organ, she missed it dearly) while she is in the middle of the marketplace grocery shopping with Shikaku of all people that she has a fucking life changing revalation. Tsuyuko now fourteen physically and practically forty or something mentally freaks the the fuck out by the horboring thought. She looks at Shikaku who gives her this halfway concerned look before sighing and taking her bags from her. She lets him take it, eyeing him almost suspiciously.

Were they dating?

These days she did more with him than anyone other than Minato, which was largely because she still lived with him. They got lunch together, he came to visit her at the hospital during her breaks, they trained together, anytime she wasn’t at the hospital or at home she was spending time with him. When the hell had this happened?

How hadn’t she noticed? 

Why did she want that to be the case so badly?

Tsuyuko liked Shikaku.. She liked him a lot, since their days in the academy even. He was special to her, he’d always treated her with respect and leveled with her like he did the other ‘prodigies’. Shikaku had never treated her any differently for being a girl. When she got hurt, both times, he’d been so visibly upset. Had he… felt something for her then?

Was she really that oblivious? To his feelings.. To her own feelings.

Back then she hadn’t put too much thought about dating, or relationships, or anything romantic of the sorts. But could she really deny that she didn’t have feelings for him now when they were very loudly screaming in her face. Surely she wasn’t imagining things? Right?

“Are you okay back there?” She looks up, he’s giving her his version of concern. Mirthful and semi-sarcastic concern. Tsuyuko looked around, they were walking alone down the street towards her apartment. No one was close enough to be listening to their conversation, not obviously at least.

“Are we dating Kaku?” The words fly out of her mouth, pass between her lips before she has the chance to fucking stop them. Fuck not having a filter. It sucked at moments like these.

He stops. Surprise clear by the way he raises his brow and his eyes widen slightly. Of course his response isn’t a direct answer and instead he asks a question. Tsuyuko is vaguely annoyed by the expected way of response. It was so like him, but also just so annoying. Why couldn’t he answer a question like a normal fucking person.

“Do you want us to be dating Tsu?” She gives him a look that he just smirks at. Tsuyuko walks up to him accessing his stupid pretty smirk and smartass brown eyes. She raises her own brow in a semi taunting manner.

“I wouldn’t be opposed to the idea, but I would have appreciated you asking first Kaku.” He blinked owlishly at her response before quickly looking away. It doesn’t hide the slight hue of red that creeps up his tanned skin.

“Then I suppose we are dating.” Well then, if that was the case.

Tsuyuko kisses his cheek almost teasingly before running in front of him. She can’t stop the excited giggles that follow. He smirks and follows her at a sedated pace, trying real hard to fight the growing heat on his cheeks.

Literally no one is surprised when they tell it. It is almost sad, how obvious their feelings had been to everyone but them. Which just makes Tsuyuko pout. 

…

The war takes a sudden turn around the time Tsuyuko turns sixteen, finally they were winning. Tsunade regardless still does not clear Tsuyuko for active frontline duty. Tsuyuko is greatly annoyed by this notion but couldn’t fight the other medic because her immune system still has issues. Even three years after the fact, she mourns the fact that she is not able to be on the frontlines supporting her friends, her family who are out there fighting.

Minato earns a moniker during this time that she is not pleased about in the slightest. Monikers meant shinobi’s in other villages knew who you were, monikers meant bonty prices and more danger. She wants to scream. Tsuyuko refrains but it still annoys her just to think about it. 

“Why are you glaring at the ceiling? You’re supposed to be happy right now? You know since you're getting married in a month.” Kushina breaks her from her less than pleasant train of thought over Minato’s stupid new nickname.

Oh yeah.. That’s right she was supposed to be getting fitted for a wedding kimono at the moment. She should have been happy. So why wasn’t she? Because her brother’s an idiot and her fiance is out there fighting alongside said idiot, and she wasn’t allowed to be out in the field protecting their stupid asses. 

Kushina is giving her the world's most disappointed look; she can just feel it, she instead looks at Mikoto who had kindly joined them along with one of her newest friends she made in Inuzuka Tsume who is sitting next to the Uchiha matron smirking. Tsume had been an interesting acquisition of friendship, they’d met in the market when they both caught some civilian man trying to rob one of the fruit stands run by a few nice girls. Needless to say neither female had been happy to see such a thing happen, the man ended up in the not so nice hands of a disgruntled police chief and head of the Uchiha clan after it happened. Tsuyuko really likes Tsume, she’s a good person.

Plus awesome nikun doggos were the best.

“Kushina is right Tsuyuko try to enjoy this time, I know how it feels to worry about your loved one so sometimes it is good to have distractions from pretty clothes and doting friends.” Mikoto offers serenely, Tsuyuko sighs. She’s being dramatic, she knows it. Sadly this was just her nature. 

“ I suppose, alright Kushina let’s try on another. This kimono feels wrong somehow.” Kushina grins in excitement and helps her off the small platform.

“Uzumaki grab the kimono with the green and lavender embroidery!” Tsume yells as they go back to the dressing room. Kushina claps her hands together excitedly, yes that sounds like a great choice.

It was in fact the right choice.

“You look like a princess, or a doll.” Kushina says after a moment of awe. Tsuyuko blushes from the compliment.

“Sakumo once said something similar about my mother.” She tells them after a moment. Tsuyuko had never really considered herself to be dollike. Not with her freckles, and even now with the scars she had. Dollike didn’t come to mind when she thought of ways to describe herself, honestly she really thought she was just sort of average. Pale skin dusted with freckles, green eyes, curly auburn hair. Nothing special, not to her.

“Speaking of Hatake-san, who will be walking you down the aisle?” Mikoto is the one to ask. Tsuyuko hadn’t really given it much thought. It hadn’t seemed like the sort of thing that required it to her.

The answer was of course obvious.

“Orochimaru-sensei will be the one to walk me down the aisle. That is as long as my idiot of a boyfriend makes it home in one piece.” Which she hoped and prayed he did.

“Aww don’t talk like that Tsuyuko of course Shikaku is going to make it home in one piece. They all are. Besides our boys know if they do something stupid we will be very disapointed in them.” Kushina’s smirk is less than friendly but Tsuyuko appreciates her words nonetheless.

“Alright, fine. Now help me out of this so I can pay for it.” Mikoto makes a face at Tsuyuko.

“Don’t be silly Tsuyuko, you are not paying for your own wedding kimono.”

Well that almost sounded like a threat.

…

Minato is unsurprisingly nominated as a Hokage candidate in the following year. He’s nineteen now nearly twenty. Young, but full of life and hope. The Saindaime thinks he will be a great replacement, that he will lead the village into a promising future. One that is hopefully peaceful. The Sannin never tell the old man about the once tiny girl’s knowledge, instead they keep it to themselves satisfied by the changes they have been able to make with it. Tsuyuko herself is just happy to see the ones she loves smiling faces on a regular basis. 

The Third Shinobi war comes to an end after five years of violence. Obito awakens his sharingan on a mission gone haywire but returns home mostly unschathed. Kakashi managed to keep both of his eyes. Rin was never turned into a jinchuriki. The truth had set them all free. On the horizon a better tomorrow is promised.

Even if they still had a lot of fucking work to do. Tsuyuko thinks almost bitterly. She should be happy right now, change was happening all around her for what seemed to be the better yes still she felt paranoid. Waiting for the other shoe to drop. It doesn’t.

“Why are you scowling?” Shikaku asks carefully from his spot across their kotatsu. Tsuyuko loves him so much, she didn’t truly understand what that meant before. She does now. It haunts her sometimes, in her darkest nightmares, because she knows if she ever loses him. Loses any of them, it will kill her.

“I have academy evals today and I’m dreading it.” He snorts. She hated the academy check up, they were tedious in a way she didn’t always have the patience for.

“Good luck. Are we still hosting the party tonight?” Tsuyuko nods.

“It’s sensei’s birthday of course I’m throwing him a birthday party, besides Nawaki and Tenzin are finally going to bring the baby girl they adopted to meet everyone. I am not missing an opportunity to spoil my godchild in the slightest.” Her husband laughs at her, but it only causes her to smile. She takes a sip of her tea to hide it. Which proved to have been a horrible idea

“You know if you want a baby we can have one.” Tsuyuko snorts tea and it burns. She’d glare if she wasn’t so surprised.

“Kaku, are you asking me if I want to make a baby with you?” Because she was totally down. His smirk just grows.

“Do you want to make a baby with me?”

**XOXOX**

**I told you this fic was self-indulgent.. I promise I’m not done with it yet either just wanted to speed things up a little. Everything was going to play out fine with the war with only a few minor details that were only going to be mentioned as afterthoughts anyway. So yeah.**

**Ages as of Now:**

**Tsuyuko: 18**

**Minato: 20**

**Ino/Shika/Cho : 21-22ish**

**Kushina: 20**

**Mikoto:21**

**Fugaku:23**

**Tsume:22-23ish**

**Kakashi:12**

**Obito and Rin: 13/14**

**Thank you so much guys for all your love and support! I love you all bunches:)**

**~LaRae**

  
  
  



	15. No More Soup

**No More Soup**

_“To plant a garden is to believe in tomorrow.”_ **~ Audrey Hepburn**

**.15**

Tsuyuko was having a bit of a morning. And not in a good way. So far after several months of trying to make a baby with her husband they weren’t getting anywhere. It may be a good thing, because if they had a baby now they’d technically be in the same year as the son of Hizashi who was about six months from being due, and not in the rookie nine class. Which shouldn’t have mattered, so many things were different now. Minato was Hokage earlier than before. Three whole years earlier, technically he was in an interim period working closing with the Sandaime but he was effectively the Hokage.

The Yondaime. 

When she told the sannin the truth all those years ago it had effectively shoved the timeline up by a lot, things happened quicker in the face of it mostly for the better. Her heart still aches at the loss of Himura anytime she sees either of his brothers or in moments when Nawaki picks on her. She misses him dearly. Tsuyuko places a hand on her aching heart.

She glares at the negative pregnancy test before throwing it away. They were getting nowhere. Negative test did mean one thing though, she was actually sick. Hence the morning she was having.

Nausea and fatigue, that she’d been hoping was early pregnancy symptoms but no it just meant she was fucking sick again. Her immune system had taken a dive for the worse, as it usually did during the winter following her splenectomy. There was only so much her liver could do. 

Shikaku looks concerned as she walks into the kitchen. It looked like he was reading one of Orochimaru sensei’s chakra theory scrolls. She liked that one, it was really informative. “No luck?” Tsuyuko shakes her head, biting her lip.

“Not this time. I’m just sick again, don’t tell Choza.” Then they’d have more soup than either of them knew what to do with and neither of them really wanted to deal with that. Tsyuko still had soup frozen from the last time she’d gotten sick and Choza had brought over an entire fridge worth of soup for her. Shikaku snorted.

“I won’t”

He meant well, the gesture was appreciated with love, but they did not have room for all of that soup. Shikaku sighs, he stands from the table walking over to her. She leans into him when he wraps his arm around her much smaller frame.

“We’ll try again later.” She smacks his shoulder for how pleased he sounded by the idea, but otherwise makes no sign of protest. 

…

Tsuyuko hates being sick, it makes her feel weak. It reminds her that she wasn’t always there to protect her friends. She has an idea, it’s a terrible one, but it’s a fucking idea and she thinks Orochimaru sensei will enjoy the challenge. He’d been gloomier since her accident, gloomier since the third war ended and she didn’t like it. She didn’t know why it was happening. 

That irritated her more than she wanted to admit. Tsuyuko hated not knowing things.

“Antibody research?” She nods. If there was one thing the doctor in Tsuyuko missed it was modern medicine. Chakra and iryoninjustu could only do so much, natural remedies could only go so far. 

She needed modern medicine, other people needed modern medicine. They needed vaccines despite the controversy she knew they could have. Her immune system was shot, despite all the work Tsunade had done to try to boost it. It wasn’t getting better, it was only getting worse. 

“It could work… I based your original immune boosters off the basic antibody research we have done.” Tsunade adds. They were sitting in Orochimaru’s research facility, because he still did that. It was mostly jutsu development and some genetic testing that was ethical and sanctioned using rats, so that was a relief. Tsunade occasionally used the space too for medical theories, Tsuyuko too she had her own research area set up in the facility but she couldn’t use it right now due to the alarming rate in which she keeps getting sick.

It annoyed her to no end. She actually liked medical research here, there was so much that they could use from her old life and if they mixed it with iryo-ninjutsu the possibilities were almost endless. That is they would be if she could actually get the research started. 

“How do we start?” 

So until she could get back to it herself she was going to have to pawn it off to her two teachers. Hopefully they wouldn’t mind the project.

“With live strains of whatever virus you're trying to develop antibodies for. In my first life there were several stages to developing antibiotics specifically for certain illnesses. We called them vaccines, they were a bit controversial because of unfortunate side effects or other illness they can cause, but for the most part they worked. People like me, those with immuno-compromisations benefit from the herd immunity they can create since we can’t get the vaccinations for ourselves.” Because injecting a live virus into someone with an immunocompromisation was a really deadly bad idea. She wouldn’t suggest it.

Orochimaru rubs his jaw line. “What kind of side effects.” So Tsuyuko lists every side effect that she can remember being blamed on vaccinations, why they were correlated with the effect and how she thought they could avoid those outcomes.

This was a shinobi village with magical ninja bullshit afterall. If they couldn’t combine modern medicine and iryoninjustu then what the hell was the point?

“I think there is a possibility for that to work. Now go home Tsuyuko before you taint the lab with your germs.” She forgos a hug and waves goodbye instead. 

She was exhausted.. Maybe Shikaku would be at home and they could take a nap together. That sounded really nice.

…

Choza brought soup over a few days later when she hadn’t got any better. It’s one giant pot of soup, it smells delicious. “Komi said that more than one pot is overkill, so I brought the largest pot we had.” Tsuyuko smiles at him. That was just like him.

“Thank you Cho, It smells delicious.” Choza grins back at her. A jovial laugh follows.

“If you need more I’ll bring some over, get well soon Tsu!” Then he takes his leave. Tsuyuko puts the soup away instead of eating because despite how yummy it smelled she was exhausted and had zero appetite to eat anything at the moment.

She hated being sick.

...

Spring is in the air by the time Tsuyuko is cleared to leave the fucking Nara compound. She managed to get double phenomena and the flu back to back. It was absolutely ridiculous. The first thing she does is take a walk through the village, because as much as she loved the Nara compound, if she had to keep looking at it she might scream. Shikaku says he’s going to go with her to make sure she doesn't push herself, she stuck her tongue out at him when he’d suggested she would ever.

How dare he call her out like that.

Her husband shrugs and rolls his eyes. “Tsu you call us out on our bullshit all the time it’s only fair if I return the kindness.” So rude.

“So mean to your wife who has been terribly ill all winter long.” Tsuyuko said with a whining pout, Shikaku smirked at her.

“Maybe you should spend an extra day at home then.” She sputtered heading out ahead of him in case he decided to follow through with his taunt. He chuckled knowingly behind her.

She did not want to spend another day stuck in her home thank you very much.

Instead they somehow end up at the Senju compound instead. Which Shikaku is not too terribly surprised by. His wife loved her former teammate deeply, she loved his daughter-her own goddaughter- and hadn’t seen either of them in what she would tell you was forever. Nawaki let them in with a slight smirk.

Tsuyuko ignores him and goes straight to scooping the toddler off the floor. She smothers her with kisses and tickles. Shikaku smiles fondly at her back and Nawaki slaps him on the shoulder.

“You’ll have one of your own before you know it, then it won't be so fun.” 

Shikaku rolls his eyes. But deep down he had some worries. They were having real issues in the baby making department. He wasn’t too sure if it was going to happen or not at this point. He knew Tsuyuko had her own fears, it was why she had insisted on the newest research for Orochimaru-sama, his wife was afraid.

“Nawa are you going to invite Shikaku-san into our home or are the two of you going to stand there awkwardly for the entire duration of the visit.” Shikaku waves lazily at Tenzin who walks into the living room at that moment. Saving him from having to actually respond to Nawaki's comment. Nawaki rubs the back of his head sheepishly before gesturing for him to come in. Tsuyuko snickers at them both before blowing raspberries on the toddlers stomach.

Shikaku liked watching her interact with her goddaughter. No matter how it made him feel. He knew that Tsuyuko would make a wonderful mother someday... soon hopefully for both of their sakes. They were ready for their own child.

He didn't want to think about what would happen if she lost another baby. Shikaku forces the thought from his mind, pushes the pain deep down and tries to enjoy this moment. Tsuyuko smiling for what seems like the first time in forever. The light that was slowly returning to her eyes. A fresh start with the warm spring air after what had been a cold and dark winter.

She looks at him and smiles.

He savours the moment. 

**XOXOX**

**Hello all! I had a really hard time writing this chapter for some reason… Anyway onward we go! SO Shikaku and Tsuyuko are having some conceiving issues right now unfortunately, which sadly has a lot to do with her missing spleen… Actions have consequences… Don’t worry baby Shika is in the plans and we are getting really close to that time frame. Just a little world building in this chapter, some fluff.**

**Also quick note on the vaccinations. They are not in the story to be a controversial topic. Period. I won't be engaging in any nagative comments about them just fyi. My personal stance on vaccines is to educate yourself. As a parent I have. That's all. I'm not telling you to vaccinates your kids or whatever. Just educate yourself on the matter and make your own decision.**

**When I started writing this I always knew that it was going to be less plot orientated and more whim bases than anything. This is the epitome of self-indulgent fic. What I am writing is the version of this story that I want to tell. So sometimes I do not include other details like the dating period, or more action, or certain interactions with other characters and whatnot.. I apologize if that is not the story you wanted to read. But this was the story that I wanted to write, I am so glad that so many people have liked what I have written so far. I am very thankful for all of you!**

**I may post an Omake for this story for scenes that didn’t make it into the final or little snippets here and there if that would be something anyone is interested in.**

**Thank you all very much for reading! I hope that this chapter is enjoyable!**

**I have much more planned for this! Updates may be slower going forward just because I am working on several stories at the moment.**

**Thank you for all your support thus far I hope everyone has a lovely day!**

**~LaRae**

  
  
  



	16. Don't Piss Off Your Medic

**Don’t Piss Off Your Medic**

_ “You don't need another Human Being to make your life complete, but let's be honest. Having your wounds kissed by someone who doesn't see them as disasters In your soul, but cracks to put their love into, Is the most calming thing In this World.” _

**~ Emery Allen**

**...**

Tsuyuko is having a nice normal day harassing the hospital staff, she’s feeling good, Orochimaru is making breakthroughs in their project. She was honestly having a really good day. Shikaku was busy at the tower, they were having a family dinner tonight since her favorite little brother and his teammates would be back from their mission today. She missed the little mutt when he was gone, Tsuyuko had barely seen him all winter, she just wanted to cuddle her little brother.

There is a sudden flare of chakra that ruins her entire mood. She looks up from the front desk making eye contact with her first apprentice. “Coming in fast, prepare for trauma!” Tsuyuko barks, jumping out of her chair and over the desk. He gets the message and starts handing out orders left in right.

She was very proud of the medic he’d become, he was no longer that snivelling kid from her first round of deployment. Tsuyuko had put far too much effort into retraining him for him to be anything but fierce. He and Rin would probably take over the hospital from her and Tsunade one day.

Spleen or not she was still a fucking medic and if Minato flared his chakra loud enough for her to hear than they had problems. Tsuyuko prepares for war. Team 7 comes in hot carried by an ANBU team followed by the Yondaime. Tsunade pops into the fray a moment later they share a nod. Tsuyuko asks enough questions to get started. She pushes down her own personal feelings and gets to work. Rin has the least amount of injuries, and she knows it is because Rin took her lessons very seriously. Good girl.

Obito is missing an arm, Kakashi is missing an eye. Tsuyuko wants to fucking scream. She holds her feelings at bay and focuses on preserving the Uchiha’s nerve endings. They could make him another arm if he had enough nerve ending left. Orochimaru and Tsunade had their own projects they worked on outside of her antibody one. Tsunade works on the most immediate of her brother's injuries, his eye socket and a deep stab wound on his collar bone… someone had tried to kill him. They move both boys to a secure trauma room, Minato follows along with Rin who refuses to leave them.

She gives her full report, Tsuyuko tries her hardest not to let out a bitter laugh. They had only been on a C-rank.. Their injuries should not be like this. “Tsunade-sensei?” The Senju woman reads the expression on her face.

“There is hope for a transplant. Obito-kun?” Tsuyuko has healed the stump to her best ability, preserving as many nerve endings as she could. The rest of his body is in a mess, several broken bones, burns and cuts. A lung that might collapse, a string of internal injuries that probably rivaled her own.

Tsuyuko is still bitterly hopeful.

“Will live to see another day.” But she doesn’t know if he’ll ever walk again. There was a good chance he’d be paralyzed. Tsunade curses turning her irritation into focus to heal the rest of Kakashi’s injuries.

Minato leaves to wait outside, Dan comes in to check Rin’s injuries. Chakra exhaustion, a minor sprain and a well hidden gash. Tsuyuko curses to the seven hells as Obito begins to crash.

Fuck! They needed to move and they needed to move now.

“Dan! go get Yurako we're going into emergency surgery right now!” He nods and she and Tsunade share one last look.  _ Please don’t let my little brother die. _ Tsuyuko’s eyes plead and her sensei nods.

“Go save the brat’s life, I got this handle. Rin is with me if anything happens, Obari is on call.” Tsunade says and Tsuyuko is rushing Obito out of the room and to a surgical room. Rin hiccups. Tsunade offers the young teen a tight smile.

“You did good kid, Tsuyuko and I will take care of them now. Get some rest.” 

…

Tsuyuko slides down the wall, she covers her face with her arms. Dan sits next to her and Yurako closes Obito up. She used to hate Dan, he was arrogant, he treated her like a child, but it wasn’t his fault he didn’t know. Tsunade loves him, she didn’t know when it happened but it did. Tsuyuko likes him more than she had before.

“Sensei? I’m gonna move Uchiha-kun to a recovery room.” She barely looks at him but nods. Dan pats her shoulder.

In the six hours since they started surgery the kid had almost died three times. He’s very lucky to be alive. Dan knew that it was because Tsuyuko never gave up on her patients. Yurako rolls gurney out of the room and Dan holds the young woman as she finally loses it.

Tears stream down her face and she buries her face in his shoulder. He sits quietly and lets her have this moment. Finally she sits up, wipes her eyes and clears her throat. “Thank you.” He smiles and pats her shoulder again before getting up and helping her to stand. Dan waves it off.

She didn’t need to thank him, they were friends. It’s what friends did for each other.

“How are your reserves?” He asks instead, because she did most of the healing, along with the surgeries. She shrugs. They were in the village, so she wasn’t too worried.

“Would have been worse if Orochimaru-sensei hadn’t run me into the ground so many times when I was a kid. I’m gonna get a soldier pill though just in case and some coffee. I need to check on Kakashi and then report to Minato. Go check on Yura, he probably needs to rest in the on call room.” Dan nods holding back his smile.

“That kid is scary, is your other apprentice going to be that scary when they finish their training?” Tsuyuko grins at him, almost painfully.

“Hell yes, to think she just passed her first test. She kept herself and her teammates alive to get them back to the village. I need to go check on her too… I was a mess after Nawaki and Himura, I’m sure she’s not feeling too great.” They part ways after that, Tsuyuko drags herself down to the nurses station for a soldier pill and some water.

“Hatake-chibi is in room 4002 with Rin-san, Yura-sensei put Uchiha-kun in room 4012 but we will move him closer to his teammates tomorrow.” The nurse stationed at the desk tells her when she asks. Tsuyuko nods her thanks.

“Tsunade-sensei still with them? Has Sakumo-san and Obito’s baa-chan been informed yet? I know we were in surgery a lot longer than anticipated.” Tsuyuko questions as she fills out Obito’s chart. When he was in better health she was going to string him up by his toes, he was the main reason for all her gray hairs these days.

Her friends had long since learned. Do not piss off your medic.

“Hatake-sama is here, Tsunade-sensei is in a meeting with the Hokage, Uchiha-baa-sama was here earlier but left. I believe she said she was going to get things to make the kids feel better.” Tsuyuko nods, Obito’s obaa-san was a fiercely kind woman. Her own teammate respected the older woman with some form of severe reverence, apartly she could make Minato’s brats behave when they didn’t like each other. So it doesn’t surprise her that she’d be getting a few things to make them more comfortable. 

“That’s good, I’ll be able to talk to her then before she sees Obito-kun. Let me know when she gets back I’m going to go check on the other two.” Tsuyuko takes Obito’s file with her as the nurse waves as she goes.

She grabs Kakashi’s file from the existing nurse as she approaches the room. “Your brother is being difficult.” Tsuyuko rolls her eyes, she expected nothing else. 

“I’ll handle it, thank you for letting me know Heidemi-san.” She takes a deep breath before opening the door.

“Kakashi I hear you are being difficult for the nurses.” Sakumo shakes his head, she can tell that this has aged him, he looks tired and worn. Rin perks up at the sight of her sensei.

“They won’t tell us how Obito is..” The girl trails off uncertainty, Tsuyuko sighs at them.

“Obito-kun is alive, he is in a recovery room for the moment and in a medically induced coma. He had a few more internal injuries than we were anticipating, but he is fine now. We will probably move him to a regular room tomorrow or the day after.” Both kids visibly relax. Kakashi even leans back into his pillow. Tsuyuko walks over to him and ruffles his hair.

She takes her own look at his injuries now that they are mostly healed. Tsunade is a medical mastermind, they are lucky to have her. Tsuyuko shakes her head with a tsk. 

“Do I even want to know how you three ended up in this state?” She finally asks and Minato either has impeccable timing or is just exceedingly lucky because he chooses that moment to enter. Tsuyuko doesn’t have to look at him to know he’s exhausted. It is easy to hear in his voice once he speaks.

“They ran into Uchiha Madara apparently.” Tsuyuko actually turns and hisses at him. It would have been funny if the situation wasn’t so fucked up.

People often forget that she was Orochimaru’s student first.

Minato holds out his hands at her, in a mock surrender. This wasn’t his fault, they were on a C-rank courier mission. Nothing serious at all. Team 7 just apparently attracted trouble, it was this type of thing that killed his genin teammates. Tsuyuko recoils as she offers him an apologetic smile, he’s not mad.

“How’s Obito?” He asks instead, he came straight here from his meeting with Tsunade. So he hasn’t checked yet on the status of his other student. Mainly because he figured Tsuyuko would be with the other two if she were done and would tell him there.

“He’s gonna live to see another day, praise kami. We have him in a medical coma and in a recovery room right now.” He nods, that was good news, better than he expected honestly.

Obito’s state hadn’t been good. Tsunade told him that he might not make it, Tsuyuko was in surgery with him for longer than expected. Minato had been preparing for the worse.

“His forearm?” He has to ask, Tsyuko rubs her face clutching what he is certain the kids files close to her chest.

“Gone. I was able to save a good deal of his nerves and coils around the stump. So we should be able to outfit him for a prosthetic later.”  _ Until Orochimaru-sensei and Tsunade-sensei finish their project. _ Goes unsaid because it is technically classified information, Minato nods. 

“That’s good.. Tsu I hate to pull you away…” But they were going to have to talk, more privately than here. She nods. It cannot be helped, she pats Kakashi’s head, sends Rin a smile and nods at Sakumo.

“I’ll be back later. Kakashi, be nice to the nurses. Rin you too, you may be a medic but you are still in training and they know their shit. Sakumo-tou-san will tell me if either of you misbehave.” Both kids nod and Sakumo chuckles at her. 

She waves, still holding on to the kids files and steps over to Minato. He places his hand on her shoulder and they're gone in a flash.

**XOXOX**

**And the vague plot we have thickens! Lol I had a lot of fun writing this chapter. I hope you like it:)**

**Thank you all for your love and support !!**

**~LaRae**

  
  
  
  



	17. Chapter 17

**I Have A Theory**

_ “If there's a single lesson that life teaches us, it's that wishing doesn't make it so.” _

**~Lev Grossman, The Magicians**

**...**

“I have a theory.” 

“I do not like it when you say that sensei.” Tsuyuko mutters to herself crossing her arms over her chest. They were hauled up in the Hokage’s office with all three sannin, her husband and of course Minato. He gives her an annoyed look.

She shrugs. She had a theory too, it was probably similar to Orochimaru’s. So forgive her if she didn’t want to hear it voiced. It wasn’t a good theory.. It made her skin crawl just thinking about it.

Tsuyuko wanted to puke.

“A theory Orochimaru-sama?” Minato questions ignoring Tsuyuko’s comment. She was being dramatic.

“The ‘Madara’ your students ran into is mostly likely a proxy. Uchiha Madara is far too old to have sustained such damage to the kids. Besides is that not what happened before?” Orochimaru speaks and Tsuyuko just groans rubbing at her face. Technically something similar had happened before. 

With Obito being the proxy. Filled with hatred and desperation. Thinking about it made her sick, there Obito was sunshine and rainbows. She did not want some old ass old man and a deceptive plant child corrupting that. Tsuyuko liked their Obito just the way he was. Just thinking about it made her dizzy.

“I was really hoping you wouldn’t say that sensei…” He knows... she can tell by his expression.

Tsuyuko had hoped her earlier action would have just negated this like they had with almost everything else. This was just too much. Suddenly there were spots in her vision as a wave of fatigue hit her hard. If it hadn’t been for the fact she was surrounded by ninjas Tsuyuko would have fallen off the desk. Tsunade’s green glowly hand is in her face before she can say anything. Shikaku is crouched down next to her, he steadies her as she sways. A migraine rises from the depths of hell itself. She felt like she was about to vomit. 

“Bin.” Tsuyuko whimpers.

Her sensei hands her a bin. She throws up in it.

Fuck what was going on here? She shouldn’t be feeling the effects of chakra exhaustion, she took a soldier pill for a fucking reason. “Is she going to be okay Tsunade-sama?” She can’t tell whose concern is louder, her husbands or her brothers. Her ears are ringing. They are both far too loud. 

“Probably not for another nine months.” 

Tsuyuko didn’t know if she wanted to laugh… or cry. Probably cry, oh kami she was about to start crying. Someone is kind enough to hand her a tissue and Tsunade carefully helps her off the floor and has her sit on the couch.

“We can resume this meeting later, Tsuyuko, maybe you should go home and rest.” Minato suggests after a moment of silence she waves him off. She didn’t feel like she was going to puke anymore and this needed to be discussed now. This was too important to be interrupted by a surprise pregnancy announcement.

“So Madara proxy, Rin said that it tried to lure Obito away from them.” Tsuyuko tries to get them back on topic. They need to get back on topic.

It works but no one lets her get off the couch. Tsunade sits next to her the whole time. Shikaku paces as he thinks. Minato looks worried, and the other two sannin both look vaguely annoyed.

“Why is he after Obito? He already has his proxy, he can’t have my Obito. I'll gut him and feed him to the snakes.” Tsuyuko declares once they sort out all the details they have. Which is admittedly more than they should, but they were cheating. Minato and Shikaku had been brought into the full dexterity of her reincarnation soon after Minato made Hokage and Shikaku became the Jonin commander. It was better this way.

“Your Obito?” Minato questions with a funny tone and a semi amused look. She sticks her tongue out at him.

“Minato haven’t you realized by now we are all Tsuyuko’s possessions.” Shikaku pipes up picking on his wife, she pouts at him.

They weren’t possessions per say… but they were all hers. She wasn’t going to let anything happen to them.

“I’m sure Manda will appreciate the offering.” Orochimaru snipes at her, she grins at him.

“You’d have to summon him though, since I guess I’m not currently able too.” He sensei gives her a fond smile and nods.

“The snakes will be happy to hear that you are having a hatchling.” Jiraiya snorts like he thinks the statement is funny. Muttering something about tadpoles that she doesn’t catch. Her ears are still slightly ringing. Headache dull and lingering.

“Alright.. I think we are done here. I want to go check on my students once more and go home.” Minato then suddenly turns and grins widely at her. Tsuyuko is instantly suspicious, she turns to Shikaku. Does he know what Minato’s face is all about?

“I need to check on the kids again, can we have family dinner night in their hospital room with takeout. I doubt Kakashi is going to eat any of the hospital food.” Tsunade snorts at her.

“I wonder who he learned that from.”

Tsuyuko throws her arms up defensively. Hospital food was gross.

…

Much later that night, after she has made sure both her little brother and her female apprentice have eaten, does it truly hit her. Tsuyuko cries. She buries her face in her hands and she just cries. For so long they have been trying, she suffered a miscarage almost a year ago, she wanted to be a mother more than anything. 

So why did this feel so wrong?

Strong warm arms wrap around her, and she just lets him hold her. Shikaku is her rock he always has been. He has always been the one to ground her, ever since she first met him. Tsuyuko doesn’t know what she’d do without him.

“We’re going to have a baby.” She whispers finally once she has no more tears to cry. He chuckles softly into her crown.

“We’re going to have a baby.” 

…

Tsuyuko is eyeing Kushina warily. Why had she agreed to this again? Oh right, the red head was also pregnant and they needed to to pick out cribs for their babies. Mikoto and Tsume had accompanied them, also pregnant, despite having cribs from their previous children. Tsuyuko was honestly quite put out with the three women she considered her closest girlfriends. 

They’d all been pregnant for a few months but none of them had said a damn thing about it to her. Which was just rude. She wouldn’t have been upset with them if they had told her before. 

“Stop pouting.” Tsume growls and Tsuyuko sticks her tongue out at her. 

“We didn’t want you to be upset.” Mikoto tries very diplomatically and Tsuyuko sighs before leaning against Tsume since the other woman was standing next to her. Tsume grunts her complaints but doesn’t push her away.

“Shikaku and I knew going into it that we may not be able to conceive naturally because of my preexisting conditions. You are my friends, I want you to be happy. I wouldn’t have been upset. But it doesn’t matter now, here we are all pregnant together.. I wonder if Cho and Ino’s ladies will join us soon?” Tsuyuko had nothing against the other ladies of the Ino-Shika-Cho trio but one was a civilian and the other was a chunin, they didn’t share the same circles. Tsuyuko was a special jounin medic and assistant director of the hospital. Their circles didn’t even overlap outside of the friendship between the boys.

To be honest Tsuyuko also preferred Choza’s chunin wife over Inoichi’s civilian girlfriend. SO she really tried to just leave them alone, because the two ladies were best friends and Tsuyuko didn’t want to create hard feelings. It wasn’t that she didn’t like Inoichi’s girlfriend.. She just didn’t think the civilian was a good choice for him.

Personal feelings aside, she was certain the other two were probably pregnant. Especially since the other three were. 

“So what kind of crib are you thinking?” Kushina changes the conversation as if she can see where it’s going and Tsuyuko sighs and stands up straight. Tsume flicks her shoulder playfully.

“I don’t know… I think I want a bassinet in our room for the first few months, baby may be a Nara but middle of the night feedings are still going to happen” Mikoto gives her a funny look.

“Are you planning on nursing Tsuyuko?” She nods at the Uchiha matron's surprised question.

“It’s not like I’m trying to return to active duty, besides nursing is the best source of nutrition for a newborn so I don’t see why I shouldn’t.” Plus it wouldn’t be her first rodeo with breastfeeding. Tsuyuko knew it could be difficult, she didn’t even want to think about the possibility of mastitis. 

“You aren’t returning to active duty?” Tsume asks and Tsuyuko shrugs.

“I’ll still work at the hospital and the medical research facility but… my days of being a field medic are over. They were over the moment Tsunade removed my spleen, if I were to get poisoned or sick while outside of the village I’d die. And with a baby it’s not a risk I want to take.” Tsuyuko answers honestly, it hurt the first time she’d come to the realization but there was nothing she could do about it.

“Just don’t become a stuffy housewife.” Tsuyuko laughs, the joke is inappropriate but she doesn’t care.

“I am not just a housewife, none of us are. Don’t worry Tsume I’ll gut anyone who tries to take what is mine from me.” Barking laughter and rolling eyes follow.

Tsuyuko just smiles at her female friends.

She wasn’t joking.

**XOXOX**

**Baby Shika is on the way! SO is the rest of the rookie nine.. There is some drama around the corner too! Full speed ahead.**

**Thank you for reading!**

**~LaRae**

  
  
  
  
  



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